The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested four persons suspected of engaging in illegal sand-winning activities at three locations in the Greater Accra Region.
The arrests were made during an enforcement operation conducted on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Asutsuare in the Shai-Osudoku District, Volivo and parts of the Afienya enclave.
The operation forms part of the Secretariat’s broader efforts to clamp down on unauthorised sand-winning activities and prevent further destruction of land and environmentally sensitive areas.
The operation, led by the NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel K. S. Appiah, also resulted in the impounding of three trucks believed to have been used in the illegal activities.
According to a statement issued by the NAIMOS Communications Unit on Friday, November 6, the impounded trucks were handed over to the police while some foreign nationals at Asutsuare were also questioned during the exercise.
The statement said as part of the exercise, NAIMOS personnel engaged residents in some affected communities, particularly along the Afienya enclave, to assess the impact of illegal sand-winning on their livelihoods and immediate environment.
During the engagements, some residents, according to NAIMOS expressed serious concerns about the activities, describing them as a major source of worry and calling for sustained interventions to protect their communities from further environmental destruction.
NAIMOS assured the residents of its commitment to sustained enforcement and encouraged them to support its operations through greater cooperation and intelligence sharing.
The Secretariat also held discussions with the District Police Commander for Afienya, Chief Superintendent Stanley Dzakpasu, over recent reports of an alleged confrontation between military and police personnel during an earlier enforcement operation.
According to NAIMOS, Mr Dzakpasu disputed suggestions that there had been a confrontation between the two security agencies.
The statement said the police commander instead commended “the professionalism demonstrated by the military officers who conducted the earlier operations.”
Mr Dzakpasu further stressed that his outfit would continue to work with NAIMOS in the discharge of its responsibilities.
NAIMOS has reiterated its commitment to intensifying enforcement operations against illegal sand-winning and other forms of unauthorised mineral extraction across the country with the support of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
“The Secretariat will continue to combine decisive enforcement with stakeholder engagement and community collaboration to safeguard the country’s land and natural resources,” It said.
