Ghana News Online

The Forestry Commission in the Aowin Division has renewed its fight against illegal mining activities, arresting 13 Ghanaians involved in illicit activities in the Boin Tano Forest Reserve.

This arrest by the Forestry Commission highlights the commission’s resolve to protect Ghana’s forests at all costs.

Two task forces of the Forestry Commission, including a Rapid Response Team, in the early hours of Monday, January 19, 2026, around 1:00 a.m., based on intelligence reports, swooped on suspected galamsey sites in Jema Asemkrom within the Boin Tano Forest Reserve.

According to the Aowin District Manager of the Forestry Commission, Joe Appiah Frimpong, the operation uncovered four makeshift mining camps that had been set up to facilitate unauthorised gold extraction.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Frimpong noted that the camps were operating in the deepest part of the forest reserve, further threatening the integrity of the ecosystem.

He said, “These camps were operating deep within the forest reserve, destroying valuable forest land and threatening the integrity of our ecosystem,” adding that, “All four camps were destroyed during the operation, and equipment such as changfang machines, shovels, and other mining tools were seized and set ablaze to prevent further illegal activities.”

According to the manager of the Aowin Division, approximately 0.4 to 0.5 hectares of forest land have been destroyed by the suspects, who are between the ages of 19 and 29.

“We have handed over the 13 suspects to the Aowin Divisional Police Command for further investigations, and they have since been arraigned in court to face the full weight of the law,” he added.

Illegal mining activities have destroyed Ghana’s forests and aquatic life, with a greater impact on the country’s climate conditions. The country’s rainfall pattern has been altered largely due to the negative impact of environmental practices, which include galamsey and other anti-environmental activities.

The operation underscores the Forestry Commission’s commitment to implementing the President’s renewed directives on combating illegal mining, which has continued to pose serious environmental, social, and economic threats to communities in Ghana.

“Illegal mining not only destroys our forests, but it also pollutes water bodies and threatens biodiversity,” Mr Frimpong noted. “As part of our ongoing enforcement strategy, the Forestry Commission will sustain operations across the Aowin Division to ensure that forest reserves and water bodies are fully protected.”