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 along the Offin River.

The operation, conducted between 1130 and 1530 hours on Saturday, 16 May 2026, also resulted in the destruction of several changfan machines mounted directly on the river, effectively disrupting entrenched illegal mining operations.

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

The swoop followed credible intelligence on organised illegal mining along the Offin corridor.

Acting swiftly, the taskforce mobilised from its Manso Adubia base to the identified location, where operatives encountered several individuals, including women, actively engaged in illegal mining.

Upon sighting the taskforce, the suspects fled into nearby terrain, evading arrest.

However, one Chinese national, identified as Xiao Weixin, aged 41 and resident at Dawusaso, was apprehended at the scene. Items retrieved from him included an Apsonic tricycle, two Gota sets, and a Huawei mobile phone, all of which have been secured by the task force.

A major concern at the site was the deliberate diversion of the Offin River into an artificial dam, a move described by authorities as a serious threat to the river’s ecological balance and to downstream communities that rely on it for daily use.

During a thorough sweep of the area, operatives set ablaze two changfan machines mounted directly on the river, neutralising key equipment used in the destruction of the water body.

Additionally, three excavators, two Caterpillar machines, and one Sany machine were found abandoned at the site.

Their monitors and keys had been removed by the operators prior to the taskforce’s arrival, a tactic commonly used to avoid seizure.

The machines’ chassis numbers were also found to be heavily corroded and unreadable, complicating identification and potential confiscation.

The suspect has since been transported to the NAIMOS Secretariat in Accra for further investigation and will 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 suspects fled, leaving behind a drum of diesel, which has been retrieved and is now in the custody of the operatives.

The Dawusaso operation underscores NAIMOS’ continued commitment to combating illegal mining activities along the Offin River, particularly in cases where operators have gone as far as altering the natural course of the river to sustain their operations.

NAiMOS has assured the public that such destructive activities, including river diversion and pollution, will be met with intensified enforcement efforts until the integrity of the Offin River is fully restored.