Ten suspected illegal miners, including three Chinese nationals and seven Ghanaians, have been arrested in a joint security operation at Kpali, near Gbinyiri, in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.
The three-day operation, carried out between 25 and 27 August 2026, was conducted by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) in partnership with the Northern Command of the Ghana Army and the Ghana Police Service. It followed an initial reconnaissance mission on 19 August that confirmed active illegal mining (galamsey) in the enclave.
Upon arrival, the joint task force caught several individuals in the act and documented significant environmental destruction across the area.
In addition to the arrests, security personnel seized key operational machinery and items, including: two excavators, three excavator monitors, one Toyota Hilux pickup, one fuel bowser, assorted mining tools and three firearms and 25 live cartridges.
To ensure operators could not immediately resume work, the team dismantled 15 makeshift structures at the encampment and destroyed an on-site power generator.
The suspects and retrieved evidence have been transferred to the Savannah Regional Police Command in Damongo for further investigation and prosecution. The heavy equipment has been secured at designated holding locations.
NAIMOS reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, and local authorities to curb illegal mining, protect water bodies, and prevent further environmental destruction in the region.
@Volta Today
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