A total of 1,486 illegal miners (Galamseyers) have been arrested so far by security agencies in anti-galamsey operations this year, 2025.
The operations, conducted in illegal mining hotspots between January 7 and November 30, also resulted in the seizure of 443 excavators and 11 bulldozers.
Ama Mawusi Mawuenyefia, Director of Communications at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, said on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, that the operations additionally led to the confiscation of 86 pump-action guns, 31 motorbikes, 14 vehicles, and 1,200 pumping machines.
She noted that 36 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, along with some washing boards, were also seized during the crackdown.
“I must add that an amount of GH¢234,000 was received as attempted bribes to the security agencies,” Mawuenyefia revealed.
She added that the interventions had created 2,000 direct jobs over the past 11 months through initiatives such as the Blue Water Guards, mine repository teams, forest guards, and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) administrative office.
Since the start of 2025, the government has implemented several measures to curb illegal mining, aiming to protect Ghana’s land and water resources.
In March, for example, the government indefinitely withdrew small-scale mining licenses issued after the December 7, 2024, elections as a step to sanitise the sector. This was followed by the establishment of a technical committee tasked with reviewing all existing small-scale mining licenses nationwide.
A registration and tracking system for all excavators, including imports, was also introduced. Furthermore, the government launched the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) to promote responsible mining practices.
Mawuenyefia emphasised that these interventions had directly contributed to the arrest of hundreds of galamseyers and the seizure of mining equipment.
While acknowledging that the country is not yet free from illegal mining, Mawuenyefia said modest gains have been made since President Mahama assumed office.
“We know that our rivers that had been heavily polluted at the time this government took office have not cleared up yet. We know that our forest reserves are not yet free from galamsey, but more work has been done to stem the tide,” she stated.
She assured Ghanaians that the government would persist in pursuing all individuals involved in illegal mining until the nation’s water bodies and forest reserves are restored to their natural state.
