NAIMOS Taskforce Arrests Armed Galamsey Guards After Violent Clash in Nzema East

NAIMOS Taskforce Arrests Armed Galamsey Guards After Violent Clash in Nzema East

Four suspected armed guards linked to illegal mining activities have been arrested following a violent confrontation with operatives of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) during a late-night raid at Anbanzie in the Nzema East District of the Western Region.

The intelligence-led operation, conducted on Monday, February 9, 2026, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., targeted an illegal mining site believed to be operating under heavy protection from hired thugs.

According to NAIMOS, the taskforce encountered fierce resistance upon arrival at the site, when about fifteen individuals wielding cutlasses and adorned with cowries attempted to block access to the mining area. The group reportedly launched an attack on the convoy in an attempt to prevent the operation.

However, the taskforce responded swiftly, overpowering the attackers and arresting four suspects while others fled into nearby areas. The operatives subsequently dismantled and destroyed the illegal mining infrastructure at the site.

The suspects arrested have been identified as Massawudu Alhassan, 34; Zuberu Ahmidu, 32; William Boateng, 28; and Ernest Abeka, 22.

Preliminary interrogation by NAIMOS revealed that the suspects were part of a larger security network allegedly hired by the owner of the illegal mining site. The suspects are said to have disclosed that about twenty-eight individuals had been recruited to guard the operations.

The four suspects have since been handed over to the Salma Police Station to assist with ongoing investigations and possible prosecution.

Reacting to the incident, the Director of Operations at NAIMOS issued a stern warning to illegal mining syndicates, cautioning that attacks on state taskforces will not be tolerated. The Director emphasized that operatives are prepared to defend themselves against any violent resistance while carrying out lawful anti-galamsey operations.

The latest raid forms part of intensified nationwide efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which continues to pose serious threats to Ghana’s water bodies, farmlands, and forest reserves. Authorities have repeatedly warned that individuals and groups providing protection for illegal mining activities will face the full rigours of the law.