he National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has shut down multiple illegal mining sites at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region following an intelligence-led operation aimed at protecting the River Bisi.
The operation, conducted on Monday, January 19, 2026, between 5:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., targeted illegal miners whose activities were heavily polluting the River Bisi, a major tributary of the Tano River. The pollution had severely disrupted livelihoods in surrounding farming communities, including Egya Wuradu Kuro, Egya Antwi, and Nana Etufuwaa Kuro.
During the raid, the NAIMOS task force dismantled makeshift mining camps and logistics bases used by the illegal miners. Several items of equipment were destroyed on-site, including three heavy-duty multipurpose water pumping machines, gold washing platforms, generators, and washing pans.
Additional items destroyed by burning included welding machines, pumping machines, a refrigerator, manual and electronic grease guns, a gasoline engine washer, a starter, two sets of radios, two excavator batteries, a hoover, a power Dorman machine, two brand-new water hoses, and two drums of diesel fuel.
Following the closure of the sites, the task force engaged residents of the affected communities, most of whom are farmers, to gather intelligence for future operations and to reassure them of NAIMOS’ commitment to sustained enforcement. The engagement also focused on restoring confidence in efforts to eliminate environmental threats to rivers, farmlands, and public infrastructure.
The Director of Operations at NAIMOS stated that similar operations across the Ahafo and Bono regions would be intensified to ensure the restoration of the Tano River and its tributaries, emphasizing the importance of environmental protection for agriculture and community livelihoods.
Story By: Sheila Otuo-Baffour