The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, known as NAIMOS, has intensified efforts to protect Ghana’s agricultural research assets after halting illegal mining activities at the COCOBOD Demonstration Farm at Bunso in the Eastern Region.
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, a NAIMOS task force carried out a coordinated operation at Section E of the research farm, where illegal miners had encroached on land reserved for cocoa research and development.
The team found eight excavators and 12 individuals actively engaged in unauthorised mining, locally known as galamsey.
This was not the first intervention at the site. NAIMOS officials had previously visited the same location on two occasions and ordered the miners to vacate the area.
Despite these warnings, the miners reportedly returned barely a week later and resumed operations, causing further damage to the research farm.
During the latest raid, all 12 suspected illegal miners were arrested and handed over to the Ghana Police Service to assist with investigations and possible prosecution.
The excavators used in the operation were seized and transported to the NAIMOS equipment base in Accra for safekeeping.
A source close to the operation described the situation as worrying, noting that research lands are critical to the future of Ghana’s cocoa industry.
“These farms are not just pieces of land. They hold years of scientific work that supports farmers across the country, so protecting them is non-negotiable,” the source said.
NAIMOS says the operation forms part of a broader national effort to safeguard state lands, water bodies and farmlands from the destructive effects of illegal mining.
Authorities have warned that individuals who continue to flout the law will face the full rigour of enforcement actions.
