Ghana's anti‑illegal mining taskforce arrests Chinese national in Ashanti region

The National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) intensified its anti‑galamsey campaign on May 16, 2026 with a raid at Dawusaso in the Amansie South District of Ghana's Ashanti Region. The Manso Adubia taskforce seized illegal mining equipment, destroyed two river‑mounted changfan machines, and halted operations that had diverted sections of the Offin River into an artificial dam.

During the operation a 41‑year‑old Chinese national, Xiao Weixin, was arrested on site. Authorities recovered an Apsonic tricycle, two Gota sets, a Huawei mobile phone, and seized a drum of diesel left by fleeing miners. The suspect was taken to the NAIMOS secretariat in Accra for further investigation and will be handed to the Ghana Immigration Service. NAIMOS said the raid is part of ongoing efforts to protect water bodies and local communities from the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.