The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force has carried out a major offensive against illegal mining and related criminal activities in the Western Region. The latest operation, conducted on Monday, October 5, 2025, targeted “Gangway,” a notorious enclave in Aboso within the Prestea-Huni Valley District known for rampant illegal mining and crime.
The operation, described by officials as one of the most decisive yet, led to the destruction of several makeshift structures that had been serving as hideouts for illegal miners, drug users, and criminal gangs. According to NAIMOS sources, equipment used for illegal mining was also destroyed on-site.
In a dramatic turn of events, hundreds of locals — many identified as galamsey operators and individuals involved in gambling, narcotics use, and other illicit activities — voluntarily surrendered to the Task Force during the raid.
Authorities also seized eleven parcels of Indian hemp and other unspecified hard drugs from the area. The operation follows an earlier warning issued by NAIMOS in June 2025, urging illegal miners and criminal groups to vacate the Gangway area. However, the warnings went unheeded.
While en route to Gangway, the Task Force conducted additional operations in the Dadwen-Domping areas of the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. These actions resulted in the seizure of 15 water pumping machines and one generator set, as well as the destruction of three chanfangs and several other pieces of equipment used by illegal miners.
A spokesperson for NAIMOS reaffirmed the Task Force’s commitment to eradicating illegal mining and its associated social ills across the Western Region.
“We will not relent in our efforts to reclaim degraded lands and restore law and order in affected communities,” the spokesperson said.
The latest operation underscores NAIMOS’s sustained nationwide campaign to dismantle illegal mining networks and curb the social vices that accompany them.
