Takoradi: Colonel Dominic Buah, the Director of Operations, National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), says preparations for dispatching its troops to the Western Region to combat the illegal mining (galamsey) menace, are far advanced.
According to Ghana News Agency, Col. Buah stated that in the coming weeks, the Secretariat would announce their presence to help curb the devastation caused by illegal miners in forest reserves and water bodies within the region. He made these remarks during a visit to the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) plantation with the Western Regional Security Council (RESEC) led by Mr. Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister. The visit revealed significant devastation caused by illegal mining operations in the area.
During the visit, it was observed that vast portions of the rubber plantation had been subjected to relentless attacks by illegal miners, despite the efforts of GREL's security forces to stop them. The illegal miners had dug several mining holes, and approximately ten thousand trees had already been destroyed to make way for galamsey activities.
Mr. Perry Acheampong, the Corporate Affairs Manager of GREL, highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that galamsey activities were dislodged daily. He reported more than 70 galamsey cases within the plantation in the first quarter of 2026 alone. Mr. Acheampong expressed concern over the increasing number of trees being felled and the expanding nature of illegal mining, which poses a significant problem to the company.
He welcomed the visit by REGSEC to assess the situation and urged them to take firm actions against those responsible for the destruction of the plantation. The Western Regional Minister, Mr. Nelson, expressed dissatisfaction with the extent of the destruction and issued a strong warning to those involved in illegal mining to desist from such activities. He noted that galamsey operatives had recently devised new methods to work during the night when unobserved and warned that they would soon face a decisive response from security forces.