NAIMOS arrests 13 suspected illegal miners in Osino, destroys mining equipment

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The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested 13 suspected illegal miners during a renewed operation at an illegal mining site in Osino in the Eastern Region.

The task force also destroyed equipment discovered at the site as part of efforts to disrupt illegal mining activities and prevent the miners from immediately resuming operations.

The latest exercise forms part of intensified government efforts to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which continues to pose environmental and community-related challenges.

The operation was carried out only days after NAIMOS officials had cleared the same area of illegal miners. However, the team returned to the site to find that some miners had gone back and resumed their activities.

Some of those arrested claimed they had only recently arrived at the site and were engaged in the activity to make a living.

One of them, a 15-year-old identified only as Bernard, said he was brought to the site to work and raise money to support his education.

Bernard, who is from Navrongo, said he arrived at the mining site and began working on the morning of the operation.

Speaking on September 25, NAIMOS spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf said the repeated return of illegal miners showed that temporary operations alone were not enough to address the problem.

“It’s not the first day of an operation like this. We got the indication they were here four days ago, and they returned again.”

According to him, the development strengthens the case for maintaining permanent security deployments at locations identified as illegal mining hotspots.

“This basically affirms why the permanent deployment forms part of government’s core strategies.”

Mr Schandorf explained that the task force had already removed illegal miners from the area several days earlier, but their return highlighted the challenge of maintaining the gains achieved through periodic enforcement exercises.

“You saw when we arrived how all of them have put together their equipment, and then they are back at the very same place they were flushed out.”

He said the repeated resurgence of illegal mining activities also supports the proposal for permanent security deployments in affected areas.

“It gives credence to the Minister’s proposition that a permanent deployment is the way to go.”

NAIMOS indicated that government plans to commit additional resources towards permanent deployment arrangements to prevent illegal miners from returning to sites that have already been cleared.

The NAIMOS spokesperson also called for stronger action at the local level, saying communities with police stations should be able to respond promptly when illegal mining activities are detected.

“It shouldn’t even take NAIMOS to come all the way from the NAIMOS headquarters for some of these operations to be conducted.”

He stressed that closer collaboration between local security agencies and national enforcement teams would be essential to sustaining the fight against galamsey.

Mr Schandorf commended the Police, National Security and other state institutions for their support during the operations.

“The Police have been very cooperative. The National Security has been extremely supportive. All the relevant state agencies have been very supportive.”

He, however, maintained that tackling illegal mining requires greater participation from all stakeholders, particularly residents in communities where the practice occurs.

He noted that information from local residents remains critical to identifying illegal mining activities, although communities are sometimes divided because some residents benefit financially from the practice.

“There are those who are beneficiaries, and then there are those who are against the whole fight. And so it’s a divided front.”

According to Mr Schandorf, residents opposed to galamsey continue to provide information to security agencies, helping authorities locate and disrupt illegal mining operations.

He said the persistent nature of illegal mining means the responsibility for combating the practice cannot rest solely with national enforcement agencies.

“The illegal mining becomes an item of national concern.”

Mr Schandorf further pointed to the presence of houses, shops and other economic activities around some illegal mining sites as evidence of how deeply the practice has become established in certain communities.

NAIMOS says the latest operation at Osino, which resulted in the arrest of 13 suspected illegal miners and the destruction of mining equipment, is aimed at disrupting illegal activities and preventing an immediate return to the site.

By: Paulina Armah/Radio1.