Ghana arrests two Chinese nationals in anti‑galamsey raid on Dankai River

On 24 May 2026, Ghana's National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Blue Water Guards conducted a pre‑dawn raid at Sanfo Adiam in the Amansie East District of the Ashanti Region. The operation targeted an active galamsey (illegal mining) enclave along the Dankai River, where sections of the river had been blocked, diverted and dammed to facilitate mineral extraction. Two Chinese nationals, identified as 53‑year‑old Lu Honggeng and 41‑year‑old Nong Zisun, were arrested after attempting to flee the scene. Operatives also encountered Ghanaian miners, one armed with a pump‑action firearm, and recovered weapons and mining equipment.

NAIMOS said the suspects will be transferred to the Ghana Immigration Service for further investigation. The raid underscores Ghana's intensified effort to curb illegal mining, which has caused extensive land, forest and water‑way degradation in the region.