In a decisive move to curb the influx of machinery used in illegal mining, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that 1,200 excavators have been impounded at the Tema Port and are currently being held pending validation.
Providing a sector update on Wednesday, July 23, Mr. Buah stated that the seizure forms part of a broader strategy to regulate the entry and deployment of earth-moving equipment across Ghana, in line with a new digital tracking initiative.
“So far, 1,200 excavators have been impounded pending validation before clearance at the Tema Port,” the Minister disclosed.
The clampdown, he explained, is the result of coordinated enforcement efforts between the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Transport, the Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division), and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, all working to close loopholes at the country’s key entry points.
This effort is being led by the newly established National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), which Mr. Buah described as the command centre for Ghana’s intensified war on illegal mining, or galamsey.
“NAIMOS embodies Ghana’s coordinated response to the scourge of illegal mining, integrating security, environmental, and legal responses into a unified operational strategy,” he said.
The seizure of the excavators represents a significant step in the government’s escalating campaign to dismantle illegal mining networks and protect Ghana’s fragile ecosystems from further destruction.
