COP Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of operations.
— 208 Arrests, 99 Excavators Seized in Two Months
The Ghana Police Service is winning plaudits for its intensified crackdown on illegal mining, a strategic operation that has seen a wave of arrests and equipment seizures in some of the nation’s most environmentally vulnerable areas.
Erastus Asare Donkor, a prominent environmental journalist known for his relentless criticism of lax enforcement against illegal mining, has taken to social media to commend the force’s newfound resolve under the leadership of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno. For the first time in years, Donkor’s social media updates are replete with praise for the police’s visible and impactful anti-galamsey efforts, a rare endorsement from a journalist who has long chronicled the degradation of Ghana’s water bodies and forest reserves.
Donkor’s posts highlight a recent raid led by ACPOL Eric Asiedu, Head of Police Special Operations, targeting an illegal mining site along the main road leading to Dunkwa township in the Western Region. The operation, fuelled by credible intelligence, resulted in the arrest of nine suspects and the confiscation of significant mining equipment, including four excavators, three power generators, five pumping machines, and five motorcycles. The suspects, whose ages range from 19 to 42, include Kofi Takyi, Evans Nkrumah, Akayibri Justin, Nana Bediako, Nana Yaw Boateng, Shon-Vitus, Gideon Asodina, Atanga Sampson, and Yaw Sey.
The raid at Wassa Dunkwa is the latest in a series of high-impact operations executed by the special police team deployed to the Samereboi enclave. According to Donkor, the team has been aggressively targeting illegal miners polluting the Tano River and ravaging forest reserves in the area. The heightened police presence, he noted, is sending a strong message to recalcitrant miners that the days of unchecked environmental destruction are numbered.
Joy News reports further underscore the scope of the ongoing crackdown, with police arresting 208 suspects and confiscating 99 excavators in just March and April 2025. The figures, hailed as a significant breakthrough, are being cited as evidence of the IGP’s determination to curb the rampant destruction of Ghana’s natural resources.
Environmental advocates, while welcoming the police action, have called for sustained pressure to ensure that the crackdown does not lose momentum. For Donkor, the police operation is a vital step in the right direction. ‘It’s a rare sight to see this level of commitment and resolve from law enforcement,’ he wrote, adding that the recent raids send a strong signal to those engaged in illegal mining that ‘the days of impunity are over.’
With IGP Yohuno’s strategy appearing to yield tangible results, the coming months will be a crucial test of whether the police can maintain the momentum and translate arrests and equipment seizures into lasting change in the fight against illegal mining.
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