The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested seven persons, comprising four Chinese nationals and three Ghanaian citizens.
The arrest followed a targeted enforcement operation along the Boin River at Boinso–Abrokyire in the Aowin District of the Western North Region.
The operation, conducted by the NAIMOS Enchi Task Force on Saturday, 11 April 2026 between 1400 and 1630 hours, also led to the recovery of three pump action weapons and other equipment linked to the illegal mining enterprise.
Acting on actionable intelligence received on illegal mining activities being carried out along the Boin River, the NAIMOS Enchi Task Force moved on the reported location to verify and disrupt operations at Boinso–Abrokyire.
Upon arrival at the scene, the task force observed active illegal mining operations in close proximity to the river, with evidence indicating that the pumping and washing of minerals were taking place both within and along the river body, constituting a significant and deliberate threat to the integrity of the water body and the broader environment.
A wooden structure located approximately 45 metres from the mining site was subsequently identified and searched. The search yielded three pump action weapons along with 37 cartridges, recovered from within the structure.
Additionally, two Zoomlion excavator control monitors were retrieved from the site.
The permanent wooden structures identified as facilitating the illegal mining activity were dismantled and set ablaze by the task force.
A total of seven suspects were apprehended at the scene without resistance.
The four Chinese nationals arrested are Lu Weiykng (born 17 March 1982), Zhou Xuanbai (born 15 May 1986), Tan Zhongqiang (born 25 February 1973) and Zhu Jiping (born 4 March 1975).
The three Ghanaian nationals arrested are David Done, 32, of Bolgatanga; Santos Adaboo, 26, of Zibilla; and Naya Sampana, 44, of Bolgatanga.
The arrested Ghanaian nationals have since been handed over to the Boinso Police Station for further investigation and processing.
The operation was executed without casualties, injuries, or security incidents of any kind.
The recovery of firearms and ammunition at the site represents a particularly serious dimension of the operation, underscoring the extent to which illegal mining networks have become armed and organised in their defiance of the law.
NAIMOS treats the discovery of weapons in connection with illegal mining activities with the utmost gravity, and the development will inform subsequent operations in the area.
The Secretariat will continue to conduct monitoring and follow-up operations at Boinso–Abrokyire as necessary, and remains resolute in its mandate to protect Ghana’s water bodies, forest cover and natural resources from those who seek to exploit them through criminal means.
Source: Kwadwo Baffour Atuahene
