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A joint operation by the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission (FC) and 30 military personnel has led to a significant crackdown on illegal mining (galamsey) in the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Enchi Forest District of the Western North Region.
During the raid on Sunday, March 9, 2025, the team seized 10 excavators and a bulldozer and apprehended four individuals involved in illegal mining activities in Compartments 17 and 20 of the reserve.
The latest operation follows an earlier raid on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, when the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the FC, in collaboration with the RRU, drove 12 excavators out of the same forest reserve. However, no arrests were made during that operation as the miners, who were reportedly armed, outnumbered the team.
The operation highlights the government’s intensified efforts to combat illegal mining, which poses a significant threat to Ghana’s forest reserves and natural ecosystems.
On March 6, 2025, following intelligence that illegal miners were planning to return, the team preemptively re-entered the reserve to prevent re-entry by the miners. Despite their efforts, the miners returned on March 8, 2025, armed and in large numbers, preventing initial arrests and removal of equipment.
A formal complaint has been lodged with the Enchi District Police Command, and the seized equipment is being evacuated to the Enchi District Assembly premises as investigations continue.
