The anti-galamsey task force, Operation Halt, has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining activities, destroying key equipment used for illegal operations on Ghana’s river bodies.
In their latest move, the task force destroyed 10 Changfans, a pistol, and eight water-pumping machines on the Pra River in the Central Region.
This follows the burning of 30 pieces of mining equipment on the Birim River in the Eastern Region during the first day of the operation.
Speaking to Citi News, Colonel Eric Tenadu, Commander of the Operation Halt Task Force, emphasised that the team had also dismantled several other machines used by illegal miners.
He explained that the task force’s rapid deployment from the Eastern to the Central Region on the second day was part of a strategic effort to outmanoeuvre illegal miners and prevent them from relocating their operations.
The current phase of Operation Halt is expected to last for two weeks, during which the task force will patrol major river bodies across the country, including the Pra, Birim, and Ankobra Rivers, all of which have been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities.
Col. Tenadu reiterated that the operation aims not only to dismantle illegal mining infrastructure but also to deter those who continue to damage the environment through galamsey.
“I am unable to tell where we are moving next but I can assure you that we are visiting all the major water bodies in the country and so they [the illegal miners] should prepare for us.
“For this phase of the operation, our aim is to clear the waterbodies and so our concentration is on the waterbodies and not lands.”
The deployment of military personnel, including engineers, alongside police officers and environmental experts, underscores the government’s commitment to tackling the galamsey crisis.
The operation has so far been well-received by environmental groups, though many have called for long-term solutions to prevent illegal miners from returning once the task force leaves.
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