10 excavators, bulldozer seized in joint forestry and military operation

A combined operation involving the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) of the Forestry Commission and 30 military personnel has resulted in the seizure of nine excavators, a bulldozer, and the arrest of four individuals engaged in illegal mining activities within the Tano Anwia Forest Reserve in the Enchi Forest District of the Western North Region.

The successful operation, carried out on Sunday, 9th March 2025, targeted Compartments 17 and 20 of the forest reserve, which had become a hotspot for illegal mining, known locally as ‘galamsey’.

According to official reports, this operation followed several earlier attempts to clamp down on illegal miners in the forest reserve.

On Tuesday, 4th March 2025, a team from the Enchi Forest District of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission, supported by the Rapid Response Unit, stormed the forest reserve after receiving intelligence about illegal mining activities. During that operation, 12 excavators were driven out, but no arrests were made as the illegal miners were heavily armed and outnumbered the forest guards.

Later, on Thursday, 6th March 2025, the team, acting on further intelligence, returned to the reserve to prevent the miners from re-entering the forest.

However, on Saturday, 8th March 2025, the miners defied the warnings and re-entered the reserve. Once again, a team attempted to arrest them but faced strong resistance as the miners were heavily armed and refused to vacate the area or remove their equipment.

The activities of these illegal miners and their invasion of the forest reserve were widely circulated on social media, sparking public outrage.

In response, a more heavily armed joint team of the Forestry Commission’s Rapid Response Unit and 30 military officers was deployed on Sunday, 9th March 2025. The team successfully seized nine excavators and one bulldozer, and arrested four individuals found operating illegally within the forest reserve.

The seized machinery is currently being evacuated to the Enchi District Assembly premises for safekeeping and further action.

A formal complaint has also been lodged with the Enchi District Police Command to initiate investigations and possible prosecution of the perpetrators.

The Forestry Commission and security agencies have been intensifying efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities in protected forest reserves across the country. The Tano Anwia Forest Reserve has been a repeated target of illegal miners, raising concerns over deforestation, environmental degradation, and pollution of water bodies.

Officials from the Forestry Commission have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that Ghana’s forest resources are protected from illegal exploitation and that persons involved in such activities face the full rigors of the law.

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