The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has caused the arrest of an alleged illegal mining operator accused of destroying farmlands and polluting a tributary of the Ankobrah River in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.

The suspect, identified as Abeka Gogo, was arrested at an illegal mining site known as “Gyenyame Gyetei” at Adrekazo following a compliance inspection by the EPA.

According to the Authority, the operators had earlier been directed to halt activities during an inspection conducted on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after officials discovered that the site was operating without the required environmental permits.

However, when EPA officials returned to the site the following day, they found that the directive had allegedly been ignored.

Authorities said the operators had fled the area before their arrival and succeeded in moving one excavator from the site.

The EPA disclosed that the mining activities had caused significant environmental destruction, including the discharge of untreated effluent into nearby wetlands, which eventually contaminated a tributary of the Ankobrah River.

Deputy Director of Mining at the EPA, Harrison Afful, described the activities as a blatant breach of environmental regulations and warned that such operations posed a serious threat to the ecosystem and surrounding communities.

During the operation, the EPA confiscated several gallons of fuel, unprocessed mineral residue, and other materials believed to have been used for the illegal mining activities.

The Authority further stated that it would collaborate with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to evacuate two excavators and a power plant still located at the site.

The EPA says prosecutorial action will be pursued against all persons found culpable as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal mining and environmental destruction across the country.