Ghana’s Anti-Illegal Mining Secretariat Moves to Curb Illegal Sand Winning After Exposing Environmental Havoc

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has announced plans to develop tougher, revised measures to combat illegal sand winning, following a enforcement operation in the Greater Accra Region that laid bare extensive environmental destruction and raised fresh fears about the country’s fragile ecosystems.

The crackdown, conducted on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Asutsuare, Volivo, and the Afienya enclave, resulted in the arrest of four individuals and the impoundment of three tipper trucks allegedly used in the unregulated extraction of sand . The operation was led by NAIMOS Director of Operations, Colonel K. S. Appiah, and forms part of a broader government effort to disrupt illegal extraction activities that authorities say are now threatening to rival the devastation caused by illegal gold mining, known locally as galamsey.

Speaking on JoyNews following the operation, NAIMOS spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf described illegal sand winning as a growing menace that requires immediate and decisive intervention. He warned that Ghana cannot afford a second environmental crisis while still battling the ravages of illegal mining.

“NAIMOS must basically, and the sector ministry is going to quickly develop, revise plans to ensure that this is quickly and immediately and instantaneously dealt with because we cannot have another act of environmental terrorism on our hands,” Schandorf said. “Already, as you rightly know, there is the menace of illegal mining that has ravaged the country. We are still working assiduously around the clock to redeem ourselves from the ravages. Therefore, we cannot entertain another demon.”

A Landscape Scarred

The operation followed persistent complaints from residents of Afienya and surrounding communities, who have watched their lands be stripped and excavated by operators allegedly deploying thugs to intimidate anyone who dares to object . During the enforcement exercise, residents shared their fears with JoyNews reporter Stephen Mensah, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.

The environmental toll is stark. Investigations by The Herald revealed that sand-winning activities in the Ningo-Prampram Municipality have transformed large stretches of land into landscapes resembling galamsey sites, with deep excavations, heaps of reddish earth, and destroyed vegetation . Of particular concern is the proximity of these operations to high-voltage electricity transmission pylons forming part of the national grid. Uncontrolled excavation around these installations could weaken the soil and compromise the stability of the towers, raising fears of a potential disaster affecting power supply to Accra and beyond .

Some residential buildings have reportedly had portions of their surrounding land excavated, exposing foundations and leaving homeowners anxious about the safety of their properties, particularly during heavy rains .

Call for Coordinated Enforcement

The enforcement challenges have also exposed tensions between security agencies and local officials. Sege District Police Headquarters Commander Daniel Dan Yaro stressed the need for professionalism and closer collaboration between the Minerals Commission and security agencies to ensure effective enforcement without excesses.

“Indeed, I would say we need to do things professionally to avoid excesses so that at least those who are in the forefront can also understand the basis for this enforcement. Nobody should be intimidated,” Yaro said. “So I want to reiterate that let’s see the Minerals Commission collaborating effectively with the security agencies so that we can all together assist to ensure that we bring this activity of illegality to the barest minimum.”

The operation in Greater Accra is part of a wider expansion of NAIMOS’s mandate. Initially focused on the anti-galamsey fight, the Secretariat has recently broadened its interventions to include illegal sand winning and stone mining, which Colonel Appiah has described as emerging threats to land resources, water bodies, and communities . Earlier this year, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources warned that illegal sand winning could become as problematic as galamsey if not swiftly streamlined, noting that sand and stone winning are forms of mining that require permits from the Minerals Commission .

As NAIMOS and the sector ministry move to revise their strategies, residents in affected communities like Afienya are watching closely, hoping that the latest enforcement actions will translate into lasting protection for their lands, their homes, and their safety.