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The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force at the weekend intensified operations in the Western Region against illegal mining and related crimes, leading to the surrender of some suspected miners and drug users at Aboso in the Prestea-Huni Valley District.
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, the Task Force stormed Gangway, a settlement in Aboso where officials said was a hub for illegal mining and narcotic activities.
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in an update said hundreds, including illegal miners, traders, gamblers, and drug users, surrendered during the raid.
Makeshift structures believed to be hideouts and drug bases were burnt, and mining equipment found at the site were destroyed.
The operation also led to the seizure of 11 parcels of Indian hemp and other substances suspected to be narcotics.
According to authorities, the action followed a warning issued by NAIMOS in June 2025 after an earlier sweep of the same area. The warning advised illegal miners and criminal gangs to vacate the site, but many ignored it.
While on their way to Gangway, the Task Force also carried out operations along the Dadwen–Domping stretch of the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. There, they seized 15 water pumping machines and a generator set, and destroyed three chanfangs and other mining equipment, according to Mr Kwakye Ofosu.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the Task Force would continue its efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and its related activities.
“The Task Force is determined to stamp out illegal mining and restore law and order in these communities,” he said.
The latest operation forms part of government measures to control resource-rich areas in the Western Region, where illegal mining has been linked to environmental damage, crime, and social unrest.
