The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has intensified its efforts to combat illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region, conducting renewed operations in parts of the Bekwai Municipality. The taskforce's latest actions underscore the government's commitment to curbing the environmental and social threats posed by unlawful mining practices.
On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the taskforce revisited Edwinase, a site previously targeted during earlier enforcement operations. According to NAIMOS officials, their inspection revealed that illegal miners had vacated the area in response to sustained efforts by authorities. This development was viewed as a positive outcome of their ongoing crackdown.
Later that day, the taskforce extended its operations to Kokotro, another community within the Bekwai Municipality. During the operation, officials uncovered an active illegal mining site located within the township. The discovery was described as particularly concerning due to the potential risks posed to local residents, property, and the environment.
In response, the taskforce dismantled the site, demolishing makeshift structures and disabling two industrial pumping machines believed to have been used in the illegal activity. Additionally, several items were confiscated, including a Liugong excavator, two excavator monitors, and an unregistered motorcycle. These items have since been transported to Kumasi and secured at the NAIMOS facility for safekeeping.
The operation took an unexpected turn when three individuals approached the taskforce as they were returning from the site. The men, travelling in a black Ford Tundra F150 with registration number GR 4743–16, claimed ownership of the raided site and attempted to offer a bribe of GH¢119,825 in exchange for the return of the seized equipment.
The suspects, identified as Emmanuel Kobläh, Samuel Addai, and Kofi Frimpong, were immediately arrested and handed over to the Bekwai Police for further investigation and potential prosecution. The cash bribe, along with two excavator monitors and the vehicle used by the suspects, has been transferred to the NAIMOS headquarters for preservation as evidence.
NAIMOS has issued a stern warning to individuals involved in illegal mining activities and their financiers against attempting to bribe officers. The Secretariat emphasized that such actions will lead to immediate arrest and prosecution under the law.
Furthermore, NAIMOS has called on local administrative authorities, including security and intelligence agencies, to strengthen monitoring efforts in areas previously cleared by the taskforce. This measure aims to prevent illegal miners from resuming operations and undoing the progress made by enforcement activities.
The Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating illegal mining activities across the country and safeguarding communities and their environments from the harmful consequences of these unlawful practices.
-By Tetteh Belinda | GhanaCrimes
