The Forestry Commission said its Rapid Response team arrested 31 illegal miners, including 28 Chinese nationals and three Ghanaians, inside the Apamprama Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region after foiling what it described as a coordinated attempt to mine under the guise of a land reclamation exercise.
The suspects were arrested in Compartment 17 of the reserve near the Obeng ne Obeng community. Officials seized a pickup truck, a Foton mini truck and a generator, while four temporary structures erected in the forest were immobilised.
Investigations revealed that the group was facilitated by an individual identified as Alhassan, who reportedly organized the miners’ entry into the reserve. The Commission noted that, as with previous invasions, the miners were found to have pitched camp in the forest under the pretext of having been granted a permit to conduct a reclamation exercise.
Fifty percent of the Apamprama Forest Reserve has already been degraded, according to forestry officials, who warned that repeated incursions by illegal miners are accelerating deforestation and water pollution.
In a separate operation on the same day, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) arrested five Chinese nationals along the Birim River in the Eastern Region on Monday, December 29, 2025. The operation began at approximately 1:40 pm and formed part of a series of coordinated raids on illegal mining sites in the area.
The suspects were apprehended while actively mining and washing mineral materials directly into the Birim River, causing significant environmental harm. During the operation, two excavators discovered at the site were immobilized, while a Toyota Hilux pickup and a Toyota Land Cruiser allegedly used by the suspects were seized by the task force.
NAIMOS personnel also dismantled several makeshift structures erected at the mining sites and destroyed water pumping machines and other mining equipment.
The Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response team, drawn from Bekwai, Nkawie, Mankranso and Dunkwa, emphasized its determination to protect Ghana’s forest reserves. Officials stated they are on high alert and want those arrested to be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, has devastated large swathes of Ghana’s forests and polluted major rivers, prompting successive governments to deploy joint military and civilian taskforces to protect reserves and water bodies.
The Director of Communications at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Madam Barbara Mawunyefia, disclosed in October 2025 that close to 1,500 people engaged in illegal mining had been arrested from the beginning of the year, with about 60 being Chinese nationals caught in various parts of the country.
The recent arrests underscore the government’s intensified efforts to curb environmental destruction caused by illegal mining activities, particularly in protected forest areas. The Forestry Commission has called for full prosecution of all arrested individuals to deter future encroachments into forest reserves.
