Two Chinese nationals arrested in dawn galamsey raid along Dankai River

Two Chinese nationals were arrested during a dawn operation targeting illegal mining activities along the Dankai River corridor at Sanfo Adiam in the Amansie East District on Sunday, May 24, 2026, between 4:00 am and 7:00 am. The operation was led by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and was prompted by credible intelligence on ongoing galamsey activities along the river. A number of Ghanaian operators spotted at a distance fled into nearby bushes upon seeing the task force - one of them visibly armed with a pump-action firearm.

The two Chinese nationals who attempted to flee were chased down and arrested. They have been identified as Lu Honggeng, 53, and Nong Zisun, 41. Authorities described the environmental destruction at the site as alarming. Illegal miners had blocked and diverted portions of the Dankai River into an artificial dam to facilitate their operations - a deliberate reconfiguration that NAIMOS said amounted to "a profound assault on the hydrological integrity of the river and on the rights of downstream communities that depend on its waters." NAIMOS also said, "The presence of a pump-action firearm in the hands of one of the fleeing operators further reaffirms the hardening security profile of illegal mining sites."

The two men have since been transported to the NAIMOS Secretariat in Accra for further investigation and onward handover to the Ghana Immigration Service. The Secretariat confirmed that the illegal damming and diversion of the Dankai River had been disrupted, and assured the public that sustained operations would continue in the Amansie East enclave and other affected areas until degraded water bodies are restored.