Government officials on a fact-finding mission to assess the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) met intense resistance in parts of the Western and Central regions as they moved to seize and disable mining equipment.

The team, tasked with addressing environmental destruction caused by galamsey, encountered hostility from both illegal miners and certain members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

As part of their operation, officials targeted heavily affected areas, confiscating excavators, generators, and pumping machines. Changfan machines were also destroyed at mining sites in Anwia (near Nkroful), Prestea, and Dunkwa.

In Dunkwa, the situation became volatile when the NDC Constituency Chairman, along with a group of miners and residents, confronted the team.

Objecting to the raid, the chairman claimed that local authorities had not been consulted before the operation commenced.

Anger spread among illegal miners working along the Offin River, leading to roadblocks and threats of direct confrontation with the security personnel assigned to the mission.

In Anwia, severe destruction was evident—roads lay in ruins, and concrete storm drains were on the verge of collapse due to unregulated mining activities.

In response, the government team dismantled equipment and burned down makeshift mining camps.

Nkroful witnessed a similar crackdown, with officials seizing multiple pumps and generators from a mining site behind a technical school.

In the Upper Denkyira East District, particularly in Baduwa No.2, mining along the Offin River had caused extensive environmental damage. Residents voiced their frustrations, blaming the authorities for failing to curb illegal operations that contributed to frequent flooding and the destruction of farmlands.

Further tension arose when aerial surveillance over Dunkwa revealed a large illegal excavation perilously close to the town’s main bridge. As the team assessed the site, a crowd gathered, growing increasingly agitated. Protesters demanded an immediate withdrawal, leading to a tense standoff with security forces near the bridge.

Despite the resistance, the advisory team, led by Rear Admiral (Rtd) Moses Beick-Baffour, remains focused on its mission to shape government policy on illegal mining and strengthen future enforcement measures.

The latest clashes reflect the growing political and social divisions surrounding the government’s crackdown on galamsey, raising pressing concerns about governance, local complicity, and the enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana.