Anti-galamsey taskforce dismantles notorious galamsey hub in Prestea-Huni Valley

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAiMOS) on Monday, October 5, 2025, dismantled “Gangway,” a notorious galamsey and criminal hub in the Prestea-Huni Valley District.

The early morning operation, described by security sources as one of the most comprehensive in recent months, saw heavily armed NAiMOS operatives storming the densely populated Gangway enclave at Aboso.

The team, supported by military and police units, razed dozens of makeshift structures believed to serve as shelters for illegal miners, drug peddlers, and gamblers.

By midday, thick smoke had blanketed the area as the Task Force torched equipment and wooden shacks linked to the illegal trade.

Residents watched in shock as the once-thriving galamsey base was reduced to ashes.

Many of the inhabitants — mostly young men engaged in unregulated mining — reportedly surrendered to the Task Force without resistance.

Preliminary searches during the raid uncovered several parcels of narcotics, including 11 wraps of Indian hemp, confirming the long-suspected link between illegal mining and the local drug trade.

A Long Battle Against Lawlessness

The destruction of Gangway marks the culmination of months of intelligence-led surveillance and prior warnings from the authorities.

In June 2025, NAiMOS teams had conducted an earlier operation in the area, cautioning miners and criminal elements to vacate the premises.

Chiefs and traditional leaders of Aboso had also repeatedly appealed to the youth to desist from galamsey activities that were destroying farmlands and water bodies.

However, despite those interventions, illegal mining operations persisted — aided by powerful local financiers and the absence of continuous enforcement.

The enclave, strategically located near the Prestea-Bondaye mining belt, had over time evolved into a breeding ground for criminal activity, drawing both local and foreign participants in the illicit mining economy.

Broader Regional Sweep

NAiMOS’s operation did not end in Aboso. Later the same day, Task Force teams expanded their mission to the Dadwen-Dompim corridor within the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

There, officers confiscated 15 water-pumping machines, a generator, and three Chanfangs — improvised floating dredging equipment commonly used in river mining.

Several other illegal mining camps were also dismantled and set ablaze in coordinated strikes across the area.

Government’s Tough Stance on Galamsey

The Western Region has long been the epicentre of Ghana’s galamsey crisis, with rivers like Pra, Ankobra, and Bonsa suffering severe contamination from unregulated mining.

The establishment of NAiMOS in early 2025 marked a significant policy shift by the government — moving from ad hoc raids to intelligence-driven, sustained enforcement operations.

Speaking after the raid, a senior NAiMOS official said the Secretariat remains resolute in “eradicating illegal mining networks and restoring sanity to all affected communities.”

He added that the Gangway operation sends a clear signal that the government will not relent in its fight to reclaim degraded lands and protect natural resources.

A Message of Hope and Warning

For residents of Aboso and surrounding communities, the fall of Gangway represents both relief and uncertainty.

While some welcome the restoration of law and order, others fear displacement and loss of livelihood.