Osino, Eastern Region, Ghana — September 25, 2026: Ghana’s National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has arrested 13 suspected illegal miners during a fresh operation at an illegal mining site in Osino in the Eastern Region.
The operation forms part of the continuing national campaign against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which authorities say continues to threaten Ghana’s forests, rivers, farmlands and surrounding communities.
According to reports on the operation, NAIMOS personnel returned to an area in Osino that had previously been cleared of illegal mining activity. The team reportedly found that miners had returned to the site and resumed operations. Thirteen suspects were subsequently taken into custody. Mining equipment found at the location was also destroyed or rendered unusable.
Miners reportedly returned after earlier clearance
The latest arrests highlight one of the central challenges facing Ghana’s anti-galamsey campaign: the difficulty of keeping previously cleared mining areas free from renewed activity.
Reports indicate that NAIMOS had conducted an earlier operation at the same location, dismantling illegal mining operations before returning days later to find miners had regrouped.
The repeated operations underscore the enforcement challenge facing authorities in mining communities, where illegal mining can quickly resume after security personnel leave an area.
Osino has been a recurring focus of anti-illegal-mining operations. In November 2025, NAIMOS conducted a major operation in the area that resulted in the arrest of 36 suspected illegal miners, including 32 Nigerien nationals and four Ghanaians. Equipment believed to have been used for illegal mining was also seized.
Environmental pressure around the Birim River
The wider Osino and Fanteakwa South area is particularly significant because of its proximity to the Birim River, one of Ghana’s important water systems.
Illegal mining has repeatedly been associated with land degradation, destruction of vegetation and deterioration of water quality in mining communities across Ghana. Previous government and media reports have documented illegal mining operations around the Birim River and other water bodies in the Eastern Region.
The environmental consequences extend beyond the immediate mining sites. Excavation can remove agricultural land, destabilise soil and introduce sediments and mining-related contaminants into waterways.
For communities dependent on rivers and surrounding farmland, the issue therefore extends beyond enforcement and into questions of agriculture, drinking water, livelihoods and long-term environmental restoration.
A continuing enforcement challenge
The latest Osino arrests come as Ghana continues to intensify its efforts against illegal mining.
NAIMOS has carried out operations in several parts of the country, targeting mining sites, equipment and individuals suspected of participating in unauthorised mining. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has also documented previous NAIMOS operations in Osino, including the arrest of individuals connected to illegal mining activities in the area.
The recurrence of mining activity at locations that have already been raided, however, demonstrates that arrests and equipment seizures alone may not permanently prevent illegal mining.
Local enforcement capacity, community cooperation, prosecution, monitoring of cleared sites and measures addressing the economic incentives surrounding informal mining are all relevant to the longer-term response.
For now, the 13 arrests add another chapter to Ghana’s continuing campaign against galamsey, with authorities facing the task of ensuring that cleared sites do not simply become active again once enforcement teams withdraw.
PanAfrican.email will continue to follow developments in Ghana’s mining regions, including the environmental, economic and community impacts of illegal mining.
Source: Reports from NAIMOS and Ghanaian media reporting, including coverage of the September 25, 2026 Osino operation.
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