The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working alongside the Artillery Brigade of the Ghana Army, has arrested 30 suspected illegal sand winners and intercepted 35 tipper trucks during an enforcement operation in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region.
The coordinated exercise targeted two locations at Agbozume Klikor and Ohawu, where suspected unauthorised sand extraction activities were uncovered and subsequently disrupted as part of efforts to safeguard the environment and enforce regulatory compliance within the sand-winning industry.
During the operation, security personnel apprehended 30 individuals suspected of involvement in the activities and intercepted 35 tipper trucks believed to be connected to the operations. Authorities disclosed that several of the vehicles carried Togolese registration numbers, raising concerns about cross-border vehicle movements associated with sand extraction and transportation in the municipality.
The arrested individuals were subsequently transferred to the Dzodze District Police Station for further investigations, while the seized trucks were transported to a secured location for safekeeping.
NAIMOS has emphasised that illegal sand winning constitutes a serious environmental and regulatory offence and will attract enforcement measures comparable to those applied against other forms of unauthorised mineral extraction.
Uncontrolled sand excavation can have far-reaching environmental consequences, including the destruction of agricultural land, deterioration of road infrastructure, degradation of natural landscapes and increased risks to settlements and surrounding communities. Such activities also undermine broader efforts to preserve natural resources and promote sustainable land management.
The Secretariat has consequently cautioned that its enforcement strategy will extend beyond individuals directly involved in extracting sand without authorisation. Owners of tipper trucks, transport operators and other intermediaries suspected of facilitating the transportation or distribution of illegally obtained sand will also face scrutiny where their activities are found to support unlawful operations.
NAIMOS further indicated that it would sustain intelligence-led interventions in identified illegal sand-winning hotspots while strengthening cooperation with the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, local government authorities and other relevant institutions to prevent the continuation or re-emergence of the activities.
The Secretariat has meanwhile appealed to individuals and businesses operating within the sand extraction industry to obtain their supplies exclusively from legally authorised locations and comply with all applicable environmental and regulatory requirements.
It reiterated that commercial interests must not override environmental protection and adherence to the law, adding that enforcement operations would continue against individuals and networks involved in unauthorised sand extraction and the transportation arrangements that facilitate the practice.
