In a decisive effort to reinvigorate the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, the Ghana Police Service has begun a sweeping reshuffle of its commanders in mining-prone regions across the country.
This action follows a firm directive issued by the Minister for the Interior, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, and is being executed under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno.
The reshuffle affects key Police Commands, including divisional and district leaders in areas with heavy galamsey activity—particularly within the Eastern South, Western, and Western North Police Regions.
The IGP, who recently pledged to lead an unrelenting war against illegal mining, is overseeing what is being described as the first phase of a larger reshuffle campaign aimed at injecting “fresh energy” into the security apparatus tasked with environmental protection.
Speaking during a meeting with Imams and Zongo Chiefs in Kumasi earlier this month, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak declared: “I have ordered the IGP to transfer all police commanders in all mining areas and send in new ones.”
He explained that the measure was necessary due to the longstanding ineffectiveness of some officers who had remained in galamsey zones without making significant progress.
“The new ones we are taking there will be transferred after three months if they don’t perform. We will keep making changes till we see results,” the minister added, signaling a new zero-tolerance approach to underperformance in the security sector’s fight against illegal mining.
This move comes at a time when the government is under increasing pressure from environmental activists, community leaders, and civil society organizations to demonstrate tangible progress in its anti-galamsey campaign.
The destruction of forests, pollution of major water bodies, and displacement of local communities continue to raise public outcry.
Coinciding with the reshuffle, the Ghana Police Service has also recorded a significant operational success in the Western Region.
A four-day intelligence-led anti-galamsey operation, which began on April 17, 2025, within the Samreboi enclave, has led to the arrest of 47 suspects—comprising 39 Ghanaians and 8 Chinese nationals, including four women—engaged in illegal mining activities along the Tano River and in the Aboi, Subri, and Nimiri forests.
Recovered from the scene were 17 excavators, a bulldozer, four motorbikes, three vehicles (including a Rav4 and two Toyota Hilux pickups), eight pumping machines, four pump action guns, a single-barrel gun, and 54 live BB cartridges.
“All the suspects are in custody and will be taken through the due process of the law,” the Police confirmed in a statement.
–BY Daniel Bampoe
