The Eastern South Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service has intensified the crackdown on illegal mining, arresting 38 individuals during a targeted intelligence-led operation in the Birim North District.
The raid took place on the outskirts of Ntoranang on Friday, February 27, 2026, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Officers moved in on what authorities described as a well-organised galamsey site concealed within a palm plantation.
The location, shielded by dense vegetation, had reportedly been used for active gold extraction operations.
According to the Police, all 38 suspects are currently in custody assisting with investigations, with plans to arraign them before court on Monday, March 2, 2026.
In a statement, the Command noted, “All 38 suspects are currently in custody, assisting with investigations and are expected to be arraigned before the court on Monday, March 2, 2026, for prosecution.”
Preliminary findings suggest the operation may have had substantial financial backing, given the scale and sophistication of the equipment discovered at the scene. Investigators are working to identify individuals believed to be behind the network.
Authorities also disclosed that the group arrested reflects the growing cross-border dimension of illegal mining in the Eastern Region. Of those detained, 17 are nationals of Burkina Faso, while 21 are Ghanaians.
Particularly concerning to officials is the presence of minors at the site. Nine of the suspects are juveniles between the ages of 13 and 17, raising renewed alarm over child labour and the exposure of young people to hazardous environmental crimes.
Beyond the arrests, the police dismantled the operational infrastructure at the site. Intelligence had indicated that the miners were using high-capacity machinery to wash gold within the plantation, a practice believed to have caused significant soil destruction and water pollution.
Officers confiscated and destroyed several items used in the activity, including water pumping machines for high-pressure washing, industrial power generators supplying electricity to the remote camp, large networks of hoses and makeshift structures that had been serving as accommodation for the workers.
The latest operation forms part of broader efforts by security agencies to curb the environmental damage and criminal networks associated with illegal mining across the region.
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