The National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) carried out a sweeping raid on an illegal mining site in Akango, Nzema East Municipality, Western Region, on Monday. The operation saw 28 suspected foremen and machine owners arrested and handed over to Axim Police Station for further investigation.
During the exercise, NAIMOS task force detained about 195 people as it secured the site and dismantled the operation. After preliminary screening, 28 individuals were identified as suspects and taken into custody.
The team destroyed 29 chanfang machines, 37 water pumps, five motorbikes and a tricycle that had been used to fuel the illegal mining activities. Prior to the destruction, officers directed miners to remove their belongings from the area.
NAIMOS said the raid was prompted by concerns that illegal mining had encroached dangerously close to a public road, threatening farms, settlements and other public spaces. The Secretariat warned it would maintain intelligence‑led patrols and follow‑up operations in Nzema East to prevent re‑occupation of cleared sites.
Efforts will also target financiers, equipment owners and other supporters of the illegal mining network. The operation underscores NAIMOS’s commitment to curbing unlawful mining practices across the Western Region.
