NAIMOS, Ghana Army secure Atwima Mponua Forest Reserve from illegal miners

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Ghana Army and Forestry Commission, has carried out a major operation to clear illegal miners and armed groups from the Atwima Mponua Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.

This was revealed on the Facebook page of Gold Board Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi.

The dawn swoop, conducted on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, involved troops from the 4th Infantry Battalion, officials of the Forestry Commission and NAIMOS personnel. The team moved into Anhwiafutu in the Nkawie Forest District of the Offin Shelter Belt, acting on local intelligence.

When the task force arrived, it found fresh excavator tracks, indicating that several machines had been moved shortly before the operation. Large areas of the forest showed evidence of illegal mining activities. Some miners fled on sighting the team.

During the raid, the task force retrieved and immobilised nine excavators concealed in the forest. It also seized two Toyota Hilux pickups and a Nissan pickup believed to have been used in the operations.

The team burned five “chanfang” machines, several fuel dumps, old excavator engines, personal belongings and seven water pumping machines belonging to the miners.

Twelve Chinese nationals had reportedly been staying there but fled before the raid. Items found in the house included 18 excavator batteries, 31 buckets of grease, seven gas cylinders, a mini car washing machine and an excavator radiator.

The seized excavators were immobilised on site because there were no low-bed trucks available to transport them out of the community.

The operation forms part of ongoing efforts to protect forest reserves and water bodies from illegal mining.