Fifteen people suspected of illegal mining have been arrested after a joint security operation targeted a site operating dangerously close to Sanso Methodist Primary and Junior High School in the Obuasi Municipality of Ghana’s Ashanti Region.
The arrests were made on Saturday, 1 August 2026, following information provided by a whistleblower about mining activity near the school.
The operation involved the National Intelligence and Operations Management System (NIAMOS), National Security, the Four Battalion Team of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Obuasi Divisional Police Command.
Security officials said the site was close enough to the school to create serious environmental, health and safety concerns for pupils, teachers and people living in the surrounding community.
Three excavators believed to have been used in the operation were confiscated during the swoop. Other equipment found at the site was destroyed to ensure it could not be used again.
The arrests form part of the government’s renewed efforts to tackle illegal mining, widely known in Ghana as galamsey. Authorities have increasingly focused on mining activity near schools, water bodies, residential areas and other sensitive public facilities.
Officials said the operation was based on credible intelligence received from a whistleblower. They described the report as evidence of the important role communities can play in helping security agencies identify and disrupt illegal mining operations.
The 15 suspects are expected to support ongoing investigations and will be processed in accordance with the law. No further details about their identities or the potential charges have been released.
Security agencies reaffirmed their determination to stop illegal mining activities that threaten public safety, damage the environment or put essential infrastructure at risk.
The operation near Sanso Methodist Primary and Junior High School is also part of wider efforts to protect lives, preserve the environment and shield Ghana’s educational facilities from the harmful effects associated with galamsey.
Illegal mining has remained a major concern for authorities, particularly where operations take place near communities and public services. The presence of heavy machinery and mining equipment close to a school was considered a significant risk to children and staff at the Sanso institution.
Authorities have appealed to members of the public to continue sharing timely information about suspected illegal mining. They said community intelligence would remain important to the nationwide campaign against galamsey and to efforts to prevent similar operations from endangering schools, water sources and nearby residents.
