‘Yellow Face’ raid: Anti-galamsey task force seizes drugs and dynamite in Western Region

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force executed a high-impact, pre-dawn raid on Saturday, November 15, 2025, targeting a notorious illegal mining enclave known as “Yellow Face” in Wassa Abrehyia, located within Ghana’s mineral-rich Western Region. The operation successfully disrupted the large-scale “galamsey” site and exposed a disturbing intersection of illicit mining and organized crime.

The Scale of the Operation
The task force’s unexpected arrival in the early hours of the morning triggered immediate panic among the illegal miners, causing dozens of individuals to flee the site on foot into the bush to avoid arrest.

The NAIMOS team quickly moved to dismantle the infrastructure supporting the operation. Officers systematically burned makeshift structures, tents, and shacks—which serve as accommodation and operating bases—along with various pieces of equipment believed to be essential for the illegal extraction of gold ore.

Criminal Cache Discovered
Crucially, the raid uncovered evidence far beyond typical illegal mining activities, highlighting the deep criminal elements sustaining the “Yellow Face” operation. The task force discovered and seized significant quantities of illicit drugs and dynamite.

The presence of industrial-grade explosives (dynamite) confirms the sophistication and danger level of the operation, while the large drug cache suggests that the site may also function as a center for drug consumption or distribution, further fueling lawlessness in the area.

NAIMOS affirmed that these targeted operations will intensify across the region in the coming days and weeks. This sustained effort aims not only to disrupt the core illegal mining activities that degrade Ghana’s environment and water bodies but also to curb the associated drug menace and general criminality that plague these mining communities. The operation signals a robust commitment to restoring order and protecting national resources in the Western Region.

Source: www.myjoyonline.com

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