The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAiMOS), through its Manso Adubia taskforce, has carried out a decisive enforcement operation at Dawusaso in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, leading to the arrest of a Chinese national engaged in illegal mining activities.

The operation also resulted in the destruction of several changfan machines mounted directly on the Offin River, disrupting entrenched illegal mining operations in the area.

The miners had diverted sections of the river into an artificial dam to facilitate their activities.

The exercise, conducted between 1130 hours and 1530 hours on Saturday, 16 May 2026, followed credible intelligence on organised illegal mining along the Offin River corridor at Dawusaso.

Acting swiftly, the taskforce mobilised from its Manso Adubia base to the site.

Upon arrival, operatives encountered several individuals, including women, actively engaged in illegal mining along the river. However, the suspects fled into nearby terrain upon sighting the task force.

A notable feature of the operation was the discovery that parts of the Offin River had been deliberately diverted into an artificial dam to support illegal mining.

This act poses a serious threat to the river’s ecological integrity and the livelihoods of downstream communities.

Despite the attempted escape by suspects, the taskforce successfully arrested a Chinese national identified as Xiao Weixin, aged 41 and resident in Dawusaso.

Items retrieved from him included an Apsonic tricycle, two Gota sets, and a Huawei mobile phone, all of which have been secured.

In a further sweep, operatives set ablaze two changfan machines mounted directly on the river, effectively disabling key equipment used in polluting and degrading the water body.

The team also identified three abandoned excavators at the site, two Caterpillar machines, and one Sany machine.

Critical components, including monitors and keys, had been removed by the operators prior to their escape.

Additionally, the chassis numbers of the machines were found to be obscured by corrosion, complicating identification, and possible seizure processes.

The suspect has since been transported to the NAiMOS Secretariat in Accra for further investigations and will subsequently be handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for appropriate action.

In a related development, the task force intercepted another group of illegal miners near the Dawusaso road while en route to the main site.

The individuals fled, leaving behind a drum of diesel, which has been confiscated.

The operation underscores NAiMOS’ continued commitment to combating illegal mining along the Offin River, particularly in instances where operators go as far as altering the natural course of water bodies.

The Secretariat has assured the public of sustained and intensified enforcement efforts to restore and protect the Offin River from further destruction.