An intelligence-led operation conducted by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission Friday, April 17, 2025, has led to the arrest of 51 individuals involved in illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining Company Ltd, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resource, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed.
According to him, the raid followed months of undercover investigations which revealed Akonta Mining’s deep involvement in illegal mining within protected forest reserves.
As a result, he has ordered the mining lease of the company be revoked with immediate effect.
The operation, which targeted six illegal mining sites, was most intense in Compartment 49 of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve. It began at 5:00 a.m. and lasted 12 hours. The results were significant:
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51 people arrested, including 8 Chinese nationals, 39 Ghanaian men, and 4 Ghanaian women
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30 excavators seized, with 5 currently impounded at the operation base
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Weapons recovered, including 2 pump-action guns (loaded with 5 and 2 rounds of BB cartridges respectively), and 1 single-barrel gun
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Vehicles and equipment confiscated, including 2 Toyota Hilux pickups, 1 Toyota RAV4, 4 motorbikes, and a large quantity of mining tools.
The minister further described Akonta Mining’s operations as part of a “criminal syndicate” wreaking havoc on Ghana’s environment.
He confirmed that despite holding a lease to mine off-reserve, Akonta Mining illegally operated in the Aboi and Tano Nimiri Forest Reserves in the Western North Region — areas where they held no legal rights.
According to the Minister, Akonta Mining not only trespassed into protected areas but also sold illegal access to these forests for up to GHC 300,000 per concession. The company is said to have collected weekly royalties of 250 grams of gold from illegal miners operating under its protection.
