Illegal miners return to Obuasi Airport after security operation

Illegal mining activities have resumed near the Obuasi Airport in the Ashanti Region, just days after a joint operation by security agencies led to the seizure of several excavators used at the site.

A fresh inspection by the Ashanti Regional National Security Secretariat uncovered ongoing mining operations, with excavators back in use and extensive environmental degradation evident across the area.

The inspection revealed deep pits carved into the landscape by heavy earth-moving equipment, raising renewed concerns about the effectiveness of recent enforcement efforts.

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According to the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullah Nje, in an interview with Channel One TV on Monday, July 27, 2026, the Secretariat, working together with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), conducted an operation on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, during which nine excavators were seized to halt illegal mining activities around the airport.

However, he disclosed that some of the equipment had returned to operation after miners replaced components that had been removed during the exercise.

“Last week, National Security and NAIMOS came to conduct an operation here, where we picked up about nine excavators and removed parts from about three of them that were on site. But today, on our way here, we saw three of the machines still working,” he said.

Alhaji Nje explained that subsequent checks confirmed that the machines were among those disabled during the operation.

“They found ways to get other parts, fixed the machines, and brought them back to work. That is what is happening,” he said.

He indicated that security agencies are taking steps to recover the replacement parts and prevent the illegal miners from resuming activities in the area.

The latest inspection forms part of ongoing efforts by the National Security Secretariat and other state agencies to intensify the fight against illegal mining, particularly in locations where such activities threaten critical infrastructure, including the Obuasi Airport, and cause significant environmental damage.

ANAS/MA