A major joint security operation led by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has dismantled entrenched illegal mining activities within the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.
The intelligence-led operation, carried out on Wednesday, 23 October 2025, resulted in the arrest of several illegal miners and nine armed individuals impersonating National Security operatives.
In a statement, NAIMOS described the mission as a strategic effort to restore law and order and protect one of Ghana’s most severely degraded forest reserves.
Three tactical units were deployed to secure entry and exit routes while tracking suspects. Acting on actionable intelligence, officers intercepted miners fleeing on motorbikes. Fifteen suspects were arrested after admitting they had been tipped off about the taskforce’s movements.
During the same operation, security personnel encountered nine men in khaki uniforms posing as National Security officers. The imposters, allegedly working under the direction of a man known as “Major Jabari,” were found with a loaded pistol, a toy pistol, a pump-action shotgun with three cartridges, two handcuffs, and eight pouches. All items were seized to support ongoing investigations.
NAIMOS also revealed that its officers rejected a bribery attempt involving GH₵120,000. The offer came from individuals in a Toyota Tundra and a Ram pickup, who tried to secure the release of the detained suspects.
Deeper into the reserve, the taskforce uncovered extensive environmental destruction. Reclaimed areas had been re-mined, with vegetation cleared, farmlands excavated, and water bodies polluted. A makeshift settlement of wooden structures and tents was dismantled to prevent reoccupation.
Colonel Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at NAIMOS, praised the professionalism of the officers, calling the mission “a demonstration of effective inter-agency cooperation.” He warned, “No individual, group, or impostor will be allowed to destroy our environment with impunity,” and pledged intensified nationwide operations to protect Ghana’s natural resources.
