1,486 Illegal miners arrested, 443 excavators seized in 2025
A total of 1,486 people have been arrested by security agencies in anti-galamsey operations throughout 2025.
The operations, conducted in areas known for illegal mining between January 7 and November 30, resulted in the confiscation of 443 excavators and 11 bulldozers.
According to Ama Mawusi Mawuenyefia, the Director of Communications for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the operations also resulted in the seizure of 86 pump-action guns, 31 motorbikes, 14 vehicles, and 1,200 pumping machines.
She mentioned that 36 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, along with several washing boards, were also confiscated.
“I must add that an amount of GH¢234,000 was received as attempted bribes to the security agencies,” Ms Mawuenyefia indicated, stating that 2,000 direct jobs had been created over the past 11 months through various initiatives such as blue water guards, mine repositories, forest guards, and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) administrative office.
She disclosed this in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report.
Since the beginning of this year, the government has implemented several measures to combat the issue of illegal mining in order to protect the country’s land and water resources.
In March of this year, for example, the government indefinitely revoked small-scale licenses that had been granted in the country following the elections on December 7, 2024, as part of an initiative to purify the small-scale mining sector.
Subsequently, a technical committee was established with the responsibility of reviewing all current small-scale licenses in the nation.
Additionally, there was an initiative to register and monitor all excavators within the country, including those entering from abroad.
Furthermore, the government initiated the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) to encourage responsible mining practices.
Ms. Mawuenyefia stated that the implementation of these measures had resulted in the apprehension of hundreds of illegal miners and the seizure of mining equipment.
She noted that while the country had not completely overcome the challenges posed by the galamsey issue, some progress had been achieved since President Mahama assumed office.
“We know that our rivers that had been heavily polluted at the time this government took office have not cleared up yet.
We know that our forest reserves are not yet free from galamsey, but more work has been done to stem the tide,” she said.
Ms. Mawuenyefia, therefore, reassured Ghanaians that the government would persist in pursuing all individuals responsible for the galamsey crisis until the nation’s water bodies and forest reserves were restored to their original state.