Accra: The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has disclosed that in many instances, illegal miners flee mining sites before operatives arrive, as District Chief Executives (DCEs) and Assemblymen share intel with illegal miners before NAIMOS raids. Paa Kwesi Schandorf, spokesperson for NAIMOS, has attributed the compromise of intelligence to local authorities who allegedly share advance information with the miners ahead of the team's arrival.
According to Ghana Web, Schandorf noted in an interview with TV3's Ghana Tonight that several operations are carried out without any arrests because some politically connected individuals, including DCEs and assembly members, alert miners about impending raids. He explained that these individuals often blow the alarm when they learn about the arrival of NAIMOS operatives, allowing galamsey operators to flee due to political interference and collaboration from some local people.
To address the situation, the NAIMOS spokesperson indicated that the new strategy is to decentralize the fight to the local level, holding local government officials accountable for breaches of intelligence. Schandorf emphasized that information about security operations is meant to be protected in the interest of the state, but it appears some individuals are leaking or even selling it.
Schandorf further explained that because some local government authorities are involved in selling information, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has ordered a thorough response to the issue. The minister directed a comprehensive investigation across affected localities to address the problem at its origin. The operations are intelligence-led and usually kept under wraps, but the trust has been compromised when informing a few relevant local authorities. The minister indicated that actions will be directed at the local level within this quarter, supported by a comprehensive plan already under consideration.