Seventeen individuals — including seven Chinese nationals and ten Ghanaians — have been arrested by the Ghana Police Anti-Galamsey Taskforce for engaging in illegal mining activities in Samreboi, a community located within the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region. The arrests, made on May 25, 2025, followed a targeted joint operation involving officers from the Ghana Police Service, Minerals Commission inspectors, and the Forestry Commission. The suspects were allegedly operating in forest reserves and along critical river bodies, causing extensive environmental damage.
Preliminary investigations reveal the use of unlicensed heavy-duty excavators, water pumps, and chemicals to extract gold—violating Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. All suspects were transferred to Accra under armed escort for further questioning by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Police have confirmed that foreign language interpreters have been engaged to assist with the interrogation of the Chinese nationals, while immigration officials are assessing potential breaches of visa and residency laws.
The operation is part of an escalated national crackdown on galamsey (illegal small-scale mining), which has devastated rivers, degraded lands, and threatened biodiversity. Samreboi lies close to critical forest reserves, including the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, where illegal mining has been rampant. The Ghana Police Service said it is collaborating with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Operation Halt II (military task force), and regional security councils to sustain enforcement operations in illegal mining hotspots across the Western, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions.
In a statement, the Police reaffirmed their commitment to President Mahama’s renewed environmental policy directive, which emphasizes zero tolerance for illegal mining, rehabilitation of degraded lands, and community policing partnerships to curb environmental crimes. The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Abdulai Jinapor, has lauded the arrest and urged swift prosecution. He also emphasized that both local and foreign actors will be held accountable, warning that Ghana’s forests and water bodies cannot continue to suffer at the hands of lawless profiteers. More arrests are expected in the coming weeks as the task force expands its intelligence-led operations.
