Two Chinese nationals arrested in dawn raid on illegal mining site along Dankai river
A joint anti-galamsey task force has arrested two Chinese nationals following a pre-dawn operation targeting illegal mining activities along the Dankai River corridor in Sanfo Adiam in the Amansie East District.
The operation, carried out by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat between 4 am and 7 am on Sunday, May 24, 2026, was launched on the basis of credible intelligence pointing to active illegal mining along the river.
The joint team mobilised from the Manso Adubia operational base under the cover of darkness to maximise the element of surprise.
Upon arriving at the site, operatives found several individuals actively engaged in illegal mining. When the task force moved in, a number of Ghanaian operators fled into nearby bushes — one of whom was observed carrying a pump-action firearm. Two Chinese nationals who attempted to escape were pursued and apprehended.
The suspects, identified as Lu Honggeng, 53, and Nong Zisun, 41, have since been transported to the NAIMOS Secretariat in Accra for further investigations and subsequent handover to the Ghana Immigration Service.
Authorities described the environmental damage at the site as deeply alarming. Illegal miners had blocked and diverted portions of the Dankai River into an artificial dam to facilitate their operations — a deliberate act that NAIMOS described as a profound assault on the river’s natural integrity and a direct threat to downstream communities that depend on its waters.
The sighting of a firearm in the hands of one of the fleeing suspects was also flagged as a serious concern, with NAIMOS warning that it reinforced the increasingly dangerous security profile of illegal mining sites across the country.
The Secretariat confirmed that the illegal damming and diversion of the river had been disrupted and pledged to sustain operations in the Amansie East enclave and other affected areas until degraded water bodies are restored. It issued a stern warning to illegal miners to cease activities that continue to devastate Ghana’s forests and pollute its rivers.
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