On October 28, 2026, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) arrested six suspected illegal miners at Wakawaka in the Bole District of the Savannah Region. The arrests were part of a follow‑up operation carried out with the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces from October 26 to 28, after intelligence indicated that miners had returned to previously cleared sites and rebuilt their operations.
NAIMOS officials said the joint task force found the suspects actively operating at the site, further degrading the surrounding environment. The six men were handed over to the police for further investigation.
The operation also seized a generator plant, an air compressor, mining materials, water hoses, a saw machine, hammers, rubber mats, a solar panel and other equipment believed to have been used in the illegal operations. Personnel destroyed seven air compressors and 58 makeshift structures to dismantle the infrastructure supporting the activities.
This latest exercise follows a similar joint enforcement operation at Wakawaka in July 2026, when NAIMOS, the Northern Command and the Savannah Division of the Ghana Police Service dismantled extensive illegal mining infrastructure. The return of miners to the area after the earlier intervention highlights the persistent challenge of preventing illegal mining activities from resuming at previously cleared sites.
NAIMOS urged residents to report the return of illegal miners, the movement of heavy equipment and efforts to reconstruct mining infrastructure at sites previously cleared by security personnel. The Secretariat reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations against illegal mining networks across the country and protecting the gains made through earlier enforcement exercises.
Law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor the area, with further investigations pending. Residents are encouraged to stay alert and report any suspicious activity to local authorities.
