Galamsey Fight: Illegal miner makes damning allegation against NAIMOS

A female illegal mining operator has alleged that military officers deployed to galamsey sites no longer arrest miners, claiming that they have been instructed to allow them to continue working.

In a video sighted by GhanaWeb on October 14, 2026, the woman is heard describing what she says happens when soldiers arrive at the mining site, where illegal mining activities appear to be ongoing.

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“The soldiers have been told not to arrest anyone at a galamsey site again. We are all here searching for money,” she said.

The footage shows a man in military uniform at the site while miners continue their activities.

The allegation comes amid ongoing government efforts to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which has contributed to the destruction of forest reserves and the pollution of water bodies in Ghana.

In September 2026, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) launched Operation Water Shield, a sustained enforcement campaign aimed at protecting major rivers, watersheds and other critical water resources from the effects of illegal mining.

According to NAIMOS, the operation marked a shift from isolated raids to sustained, intelligence-led enforcement targeting priority river systems and areas near downstream communities and water-treatment facilities.

See the video below:

“The soldiers have been told not to arrest anyone at a galamsey site again. We are all here searching for money to take to the Northern Region.”

— A female galamsey operator says as she shares a video showing a military officer at the site while she and others actively engage in galamsey activities.

— 𝐀𝐒𝐊 (@askghmedia) October 13, 2026

JKB/VPO

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