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A joint security operation involving officers from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), National Security, and the Ghana Police Service has led to the arrest of five suspected illegal miners at Assin Ngresi in the Assin South District of the Central Region.
The operation, which commenced on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, resulted in the seizure of a Changfan machine allegedly being used for illegal mining activities on a cocoa farm within the community.
Following further intelligence gathering and investigations, the five suspects were arrested on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
According to security sources, the operation was launched after authorities received credible information that a group of individuals had invaded the cocoa farm and begun engaging in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the joint security team stormed the site and successfully apprehended the suspects while confiscating the mining equipment found at the scene.
The suspects are currently in police custody at the Assin Darmang Police Command, assisting with ongoing investigations as authorities intensify efforts to clamp down on illegal mining activities in the district.
Sources identified the alleged leader of the group as Emmanuel Bamfo, popularly known as “King Emmanuel,” a native of Assin Ankwaaso.
The remaining suspects are reported to be non-residents of the district.
Security officials have warned individuals involved in illegal mining to immediately cease their activities, stressing that more operations will be conducted to safeguard farmlands, cocoa plantations, forests, and water bodies from environmental destruction.
Meanwhile, local residents say the incident is the first known case of illegal mining activity in the Assin South District, an area that has largely remained free from galamsey operations until now.
Story by Yaw Boagyan