The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining and related crimes in the Western Region, resulting in the voluntary surrender of several suspected miners and drug users at Aboso in the Prestea-Huni Valley District.
On Sunday, October 5, 2025, the Task Force launched a coordinated raid on Gangway, a settlement in Aboso identified by officials as a major centre for illegal mining, gambling, and narcotic-related activities.
According to the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, hundreds of individuals—including illegal miners, traders, gamblers, and drug users—turned themselves in during the operation.
Makeshift structures believed to be hideouts and drug bases were dismantled and set ablaze, while mining equipment discovered at the site was also destroyed.
Authorities confirmed that the operation led to the seizure of 11 parcels of Indian hemp and several other substances suspected to be narcotics.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained that the raid followed a warning issued by NAIMOS in June 2025, after an earlier cleanup exercise in the same area. Despite the warning, many individuals had returned to continue their illegal activities.
While en route to Gangway, the Task Force also carried out sweeps along the Dadwen–Domping stretch in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, where 15 water pumping machines, a generator set, and three chanfangs were seized and destroyed.
“The Task Force is determined to stamp out illegal mining and restore law and order in these communities,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said.
He emphasized that the operation was part of ongoing government measures to restore control over resource-rich areas in the Western Region, where illegal mining has contributed to environmental degradation, crime, and social instability.
