In early December 2025, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Squad (NAIMOS) intensified its nationwide campaign against illicit mining, locally known as 'galamsey', delivering decisive blows to entrenched networks across Ghana's Eastern and Western North Regions. These coordinated efforts aimed to protect vital national resources, curb widespread environmental degradation, and rigorously enforce mining laws, often operating under challenging conditions.

The offensive commenced on December 4, 2025, in the Eastern Region, as a NAIMOS task force departed Accra in the early hours for the Fanteakwa South District. Upon reaching the Bunso enclave, Sector E, officers immediately encountered and seized two heavy Lonking excavators, a payloader, two pumping machines, fuel, and a motorbike from active illegal mining sites. Miners, alerted by the task force's approach, hastily fled into the surrounding terrain. The machines were subsequently loaded onto low-bed trucks for transport to Accra. The operation continued to Nsutem, where additional earth-moving equipment was found. To prevent further use, officers removed the control panels and monitors from excavators and seized two more pumping machines. Throughout the district, NAIMOS observed deserted sites, excavators with removed control boards, or machines relocated to evade confiscation, indicating the immediate disruptive impact of their presence. Vast tracts of farmland had been stripped bare and carved into deep pits filled with murky water for gold washing, prompting residents to express fear for their children playing near these hazards and appeal for land reclamation. Despite mechanical setbacks, including a shattered pickup windscreen and a faulty-headlight vehicle, officers maintained their mission, affirming their commitment to environmental integrity. Community members expressed relief and gratitude, describing NAIMOS as the first tangible defense against environmental destruction.

Day two of the Eastern Region operation, December 5, 2025, saw the NAIMOS team push deeper into the Atiwa Forest, targeting persistent illegal mining networks along the Ayensu River. Between Pimpong and Fante Ebuorho, officers found extensive destruction: deep pits spanning acres, and the Ayensu River diverted to aid illegal processing, sending polluted waste back into the natural system. A disturbing discovery was the presence of minors, aged 13-16, working among the pits; these children were secured and removed from the area. To immobilize operations, control boards and monitors were detached from multiple excavators, and fuel supplies and pumping devices were seized. Despite miners using lookout scouts to evade arrest, often fleeing into dense bush, the operation’s impact was evident. The main body of the Ayensu River appeared cleaner in sections where mining had ceased for months, providing a clear sign of potential environmental recovery. Residents from nearby communities expressed gratitude for the crackdown, noting improvements in water clarity. The alarming trend of child involvement in mining prompted NAIMOS officers to emphasize urgent community sensitisation to prevent potential international sanctions on Ghana's gold sector. Challenges like long distances, rough terrain, and a lack of reliable communication tools highlighted the need for better equipment for future operations.

On December 6, 2025, NAIMOS intensified its Eastern Region offensive, focusing on the Birim and Ayensu river corridors in the Abuakwa South and Fanteakwa districts. Operations swept through Akwadum, Ayigbe Town, and Ankaase Osino. At Akwadum, five excavators were secured, with three transported to Accra and two immobilized on-site. In Ayigbe Town, two more excavators were rendered useless by the removal of control boards and monitors, while diesel fuel and industrial pumping machines were confiscated. Makeshift accommodation and processing shelters were destroyed and set ablaze to prevent re-establishment. At Ankaase Osino, officers seized a tributer identification card, two pumping machines, and an unregistered black Toyota Land Cruiser, despite a site caretaker’s unverified claim of affiliation with Extra Gold Mining Company Limited. Subsequent inspections revealed evolving miner tactics, including the clandestine removal of previously immobilized excavators and continued activity near rivers. NAIMOS documented severe environmental degradation, with excavation fields spanning approximately six acres and pits more than eight feet deep, all filled with contaminated water. Technical officers advised future immobilizations should also include the removal of fuel pumps for greater effectiveness. These actions led to a sharp reduction in illegal activity along key river stretches, with field assessments indicating significant water quality recovery within months.

Concurrently, on December 6, 2025, NAIMOS operatives extended their campaign into the Western North Region, delivering a decisive blow to illicit mining networks near the Bia River in the Suaman Dadieso District. A 31-member task force entered the Kwabena Lantey and Suibo operational zones, uncovering a vast illegal mining concession. Evidence suggested operators had been tipped off, as several excavators were found hastily concealed with removed control boards. The proximity to the Bia River revealed significant environmental risk from sediment and toxic discharge. Intelligence gathered from an abandoned mobile phone in the Dadieso suburb of Niger exposed communications linked to foreign nationals. Acting on this, NAIMOS tracked and apprehended nine Chinese nationals, all male, escorting them to multiple sites for corroboration. Officers documented degraded sections of the Bia River and dismantled makeshift mining structures, destroying several to prevent reoccupation. Key equipment seized included excavator filters, a smartphone, a water pumping machine, a mini car washing machine, a small quantity of mercury, and a motorbike. Later, a team from the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC) arrived to take custody of scrap metal and heavy equipment remnants for national recovery. The apprehended Chinese nationals were transported to NAIMOS Headquarters for formal investigations, with cooperation from the Dadieso Divisional Police. In a display of unwavering integrity, NAIMOS officers rejected an anonymous bribe offer of GHC 2,700,000 for the release of the detained foreign nationals, underscoring the strict discipline guiding the operation. This Western North operation marked a major victory, exposing foreign-coordinated illegal mining structures, protecting a critical national water resource, and reinforcing the message of uncompromising enforcement.

Across all regions, NAIMOS's sustained and determined efforts, often under grueling conditions and operational challenges, have begun to reshape the landscape of illegal mining. Their persistent presence is discouraging entrenched networks and proving that swift, coordinated, and uncompromising enforcement can reverse the extensive environmental damage and protect communities threatened by unregulated mining, reaffirming their role as the driving force behind Ghana’s national effort to defend its natural heritage.