12 ARRESTED AS GALAMSEY CRACKDOWN HITS OSINO AND AUTHORITIES DESTROY HEAVY MINING EQUIPMENT

Twelve people have been arrested during a fresh anti-illegal-mining operation at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle suspected galamsey operations.

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat said the operation was conducted on Thursday, September 24, following intelligence about suspected illegal mining activities in the area.

Security personnel moved into the location and arrested 12 suspects.

Authorities also destroyed a significant quantity of mining equipment found at the site.

According to the Secretariat, three excavators, 13 water-pumping machines and 16 Changfang machines were destroyed during the operation.

Changfang machines are commonly used in alluvial mining operations and have repeatedly been targeted during government crackdowns because of their use in illegal mining activities, particularly around rivers and other water bodies.

Security personnel also recovered weapons and other items during the raid.

Three pump-action shotguns and 22 live cartridges were seized, according to officials.

Twenty-five mobile phones were also recovered.

Authorities have not publicly established that the weapons were used against security personnel during the operation.

The presence of firearms, however, adds another dimension to concerns surrounding illegal mining sites, where security agencies have previously encountered armed individuals.

The 12 people arrested during the Osino operation remain suspects.

Their arrest does not establish that they are guilty of illegal mining or any other criminal offence, and any charges brought against them would have to be determined through the legal process.

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat said the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The operation forms part of Ghana's continuing campaign against illegal mining, widely known as galamsey.

Illegal mining has become one of the country's most persistent environmental and political challenges because of its impact on rivers, forests and agricultural land.

Several major water bodies have experienced severe pollution linked to mining activities, increasing pressure on successive governments to strengthen enforcement.

The environmental consequences have also raised concerns about Ghana's long-term water security.

The government has responded with a combination of security operations, regulatory enforcement and attempts to formalize sections of the small-scale mining industry.

Despite repeated crackdowns, illegal mining operations continue to emerge across several gold-producing regions.

The Eastern Region remains one of the areas where authorities have repeatedly carried out enforcement operations.

The latest raid at Osino demonstrates the scale of equipment that can be deployed at individual suspected mining sites.

The destruction of three excavators and dozens of additional machines also shows that enforcement agencies are increasingly targeting the physical infrastructure used to sustain operations rather than focusing exclusively on arrests.

But the destruction of mining equipment during anti-galamsey operations has previously generated legal and political debate.

Critics have questioned whether equipment suspected of being used for illegal mining should instead be seized and preserved as evidence.

Authorities have argued in previous operations that destroying machinery at inaccessible illegal mining locations can prevent operators from returning to resume activity.

The Osino arrests come as the government faces continuing pressure to demonstrate measurable progress in its campaign against illegal mining.

Environmental groups, traditional leaders, civil society organizations and professional bodies have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement, particularly around protected forests and water bodies.

The discovery of firearms during Thursday's operation could also raise further questions about the security risks facing personnel involved in anti-galamsey enforcement.

For now, authorities say the investigation into those arrested is continuing.

The operation has removed a substantial quantity of mining machinery from the Osino site.

Whether the arrests eventually result in criminal convictions will depend on the evidence investigators present and the outcome of any subsequent court proceedings.