The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has rejected allegations that its ongoing fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, is driven by politics.
The secretariat insists that it treats every suspect as a criminal, regardless of political affiliation.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel Dominic Buah, explained that the anti-galamsey exercise is purely a law enforcement operation.
He said the mission focuses on protecting the country’s environment, forest reserves, and water bodies from further destruction caused by illegal mining activities.
Colonel Buah stressed that the secretariat does not consider anyone’s political background when making arrests or carrying out operations against illegal miners.
“In the galamsey space, there is nothing like politics. We meet you there, we treat you as an individual who is committing a crime,” he stated.
He also disclosed that recent operations have produced strong results, with many suspects arrested at illegal mining sites across the country.
“NAIMOS has done so well, and so far, we have achieved so much. Aside from the calm you see, behind it we have arrested over 277 people from galamsey space out of which 163 are foreign nationals and the rest are Ghanaians,” he added.
