By Emmanuel Gamson, GNA
Takoradi, April 07, GNA – Colonel Dominic Buah, the Director of Operations, National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), says preparations for dispatching its troops to the Western Region to fight the illegal mining (galamsey) menace, are far advanced.
Col. Buah said in the coming weeks, the Secretariat would announce their presence, to help curb the devastation being caused by illegal miners in forest reserves and water bodies within the region.
He said this when he joined the Western Regional Security Council (RESEC) led Mr Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, to visit the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited (GREL) plantation, where they observed vast devastation caused by illegal mining operations in the area.
The team observed during the visit that vast portions of rubber plantation had come under relentless attack by illegal miners, despite the frantic efforts of GREL’s security forces to stop them.
The illegal miners had dug several mining holes, aside from areas where about ten thousand trees had already been destroyed to pave way for galamsey activities.
Mr Perry Acheampong, the Corporate Affairs Manager of GREL, said the situation was getting out of hand, as they dislodged galamsey activities daily.
He said management had reported more than 70 galamsey cases within the plantation within the first quarter of 2026 alone.
“Clearly you could see that they are falling more trees and expanding their business, and it is becoming so much of a problem to the company,” Mr Acheampong added.
He expressed delight at the visit of the REGSEC to assess the situation and asked them to take firm actions against those involved in the destruction of their plantation.
The Western Regional Minister was unhappy with the vast destruction of the plantation and issued a strong warning to those engaged in illegal mining in the area to desist from such activities.
Mr Nelson said they had observed that in recent times galamsey operatives had devised new ways to work during the night when nobody was watching and sent a strong warning to them that they would soon receive a befitting response from the security forces.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga / Christabel Addo