The National Anti Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAiMOS) has launched a decisive crackdown on illegal mining activities in the Tano North District of the Ahafo Region, acting swiftly on a call by the area’s Member of Parliament, Dr Gideon Boako, to halt the destruction of vital water bodies and farmlands.

In a targeted, intelligence driven operation conducted between 5:00 am and 1:00 pm on Monday, January 19, 2026, NAiMOS operatives swooped on galamsey sites contaminating the River Bisi, a major tributary of the Tano River.

The pollution has taken a heavy toll on farming communities such as Egya Wuradu Kuro, Egya Antwi, and Nana Etufuwaa Kuro, where livelihoods depend largely on clean water and fertile land.

During the raid, the task force dismantled illegal mining camps and destroyed an array of equipment, including heavy duty water pumping machines, gold washing platforms, generators, welding machines, and other tools used in the illicit operations.

Dr Boako had earlier sounded the alarm in the media, warning that unchecked galamsey activities posed an immediate threat to agriculture, public health, and the survival of local communities.

Beyond the enforcement action, NAiMOS officials engaged farmers and residents to gather intelligence for future operations and to assure them of sustained intervention to reclaim and protect the river.

The Director of Operations at NAiMOS reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying operations across the Ahafo and Bono Regions to restore the Tano River and its tributaries, and to safeguard the livelihoods of affected residents.

Commending NAiMOS for the swift response, Dr Boako urged community members to cooperate with security agencies by reporting illegal mining activities, stressing that protecting the environment is a shared responsibility