The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), in collaboration with the Northern Command of the Ghana Army and the Ghana Police Service, has arrested 10 suspected illegal miners during an operation at Kpali, near Gbinyiri, in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.
The operation, conducted from August 25 to 27, 2026, followed a reconnaissance mission on August 19 that confirmed reports of illegal mining activities in the area.
According to NAIMOS, the joint security team encountered individuals actively engaged in mining and observed extensive environmental degradation at the site.
Those arrested comprised three Chinese nationals and seven Ghanaians.
The operation also led to the seizure of two excavators, three excavator monitors, a Toyota Hilux vehicle, a fuel bowser and other mining equipment.
Security personnel further recovered three firearms and 25 rounds of live ammunition during the operation.
To prevent the immediate resumption of illegal mining at the site, the task force dismantled 15 makeshift structures and destroyed a generator being used by the miners.
The arrested suspects and the exhibits were subsequently handed over to the Savannah Regional Police Command in Damongo for further investigation and appropriate legal action.
The heavy equipment seized during the operation has been secured at designated holding sites.
NAIMOS said the operation formed part of ongoing efforts by the Secretariat and its security partners to combat illegal mining and protect the environment and water bodies from further degradation.
It said it would continue working with the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service and other relevant institutions to disrupt illegal mining operations and protect vulnerable areas across the Savannah Region.
