The prosecution of illegal mining suspects remains one of the biggest obstacles to Ghana’s fight against galamsey, despite hundreds of arrests and the seizure of large quantities of mining equipment.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah says 258 suspects had been arrested in operations targeting illegal mining in forest reserves as of July 2026.

However, he admits that securing successful prosecutions remains a major challenge.

Mr Buah disclosed this during a policy engagement with the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in Accra, where he outlined government’s response to illegal mining and other challenges within the mining sector.

According to the Minister, the Lands Ministry is working with the Attorney-General’s Department to address difficulties affecting the prosecution of suspects arrested during anti-galamsey operations.

The admission has raised questions about what happens to suspects after their arrest, particularly as the Ministry did not provide a corresponding breakdown of how many of those arrested had been charged, prosecuted, convicted or acquitted.

The figures presented by the Ministry, however, highlight the scale of the enforcement operation.

As of July 2026, authorities had seized 200 excavators and immobilised another 34 in forest reserve operations.

They had also seized 1,469 pumping machines and 950 changfan machines, while a further 1,259 pumping machines and 774 changfans had been immobilised.

In addition, 48 tricycles, 285 motorbikes and 82 gold detectors had been seized.

Authorities also immobilised 801 structures believed to be connected to illegal mining activities within forest reserves.

Mr Buah said the government’s focus must therefore go beyond arrests and seizures to ensuring that cases are effectively prosecuted through the justice system.

The figures underscore the scale of illegal mining activities in protected forest areas while highlighting the need for stronger coordination between enforcement agencies and the justice system to ensure that arrests translate into convictions where evidence supports criminal liability.

The government says it is pursuing broader reforms to strengthen the fight against illegal mining, including improved enforcement, tighter regulation of mining activities and measures to protect Ghana’s forests and water bodies.