The Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Service have launched coordinated dawn raids in parts of the Ashanti, Volta and Ahafo regions to arrest suspects involved in recent attacks on anti-galamsey officials and journalists.
A statement from the Department of Public Relations at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces said the joint operations took place on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in Dadwene and Anwona in the Ashanti Region, Ehi in the Volta Region, and Hwediem, Kenyase, Guaso and Marhani in the Ahafo Region.
According to the statement, the targeted operations are intelligence-led and aim to apprehend individuals involved in violent attacks on members of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), police officers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials, and journalists.
The move follows a violent incident on November 1, 2025, when the NAIMOS Director and his team were attacked at Hwediem in the Ahafo Region after intercepting illegal miners near Bronikrom and arresting suspects.
During the operation, the team seized a Smith & Wesson pistol, two magazines, 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several mobile phones.
Police investigations revealed that while the suspects were being taken to the Hwediem Police Station, a mob of about 600 people stormed the facility, vandalised the Director’s vehicle, damaged parts of the station, and attempted to set it ablaze.
In a separate attack on November 6, 2025, an EPA team led by Chief Executive Officer Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, together with some journalists, came under assault by illegal miners at Dadwene near Obuasi.
The attack forced the group to retreat. While taking an alternative route back to Kumasi, the vehicle conveying the journalists collided with a KIA truck at Afari, leaving several people injured.
Professor Klutse disclosed that the attackers at Dadwene disguised themselves as police officers by wearing CID-branded uniforms.
She said that although the team had military escorts, the soldiers indicated they could not overpower the heavily armed illegal miners.
Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin of the Ghana Navy, Acting Director General of Public Relations, warned that “any individual or group that attempts to obstruct the operations of any of the security services in their anti-galamsey operations or in the performance of any other lawful duty will face the full force of the law.”
The Armed Forces and the Police Service assured residents of the affected communities that adequate measures had been put in place for their safety, urging them to remain calm and go about their normal activities without fear.
The security agencies also commended civil society organisations, the media, and individuals for condemning the recent attacks and called for continued public cooperation in the national fight against illegal mining.
At the Ghana Journalists Association Awards ceremony on Saturday November 8,2025 , President John Dramani Mahama cautioned that firm action would be taken against communities that attack state officials or security personnel in the line of duty.
He also directed the Chief of Staff to ensure that the state covers the medical bills of the injured journalists.
