The campaign against illegal mining in the Western Region has entered a more aggressive phase, with authorities launching a decisive operation to remove and dismantle all changfang machines on the Ankobra River.

The new strategy, led by the Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force under the command of the Western Regional National Security Liaison Officer, Brigadier General Musah Whajah (Rtd.), aims at eliminating dredging machinery and their metal superstructures, along with all auxiliary equipment used in mining operations on the waterbody.

The initiative, according to officials, is intended to restore the natural flow and ecological purity of the Ankobra River, which has been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities.

After several weeks of river-based operations focused on reducing turbidity and clearing obstructions, the task force has now adopted a different approach, moving away from the long-standing practice of burning seized mining equipment.

Instead, the machines are being physically dismantled and removed from the river.

The first phase of the new enforcement method has already been executed, spanning communities from Gwira Wiaso to Ampansie in the Evalue Gwira Municipality, where several changfang machines were taken off the river.

Brigadier General Musah Whajah (Rtd.), who praised the Western Naval Command for its support during the exercise, issued a stern warning to illegal miners, stressing that anyone caught on the river after this operation would face “uncompromising consequences.”

He reaffirmed the government’s determination to permanently stop the destruction of river bodies and bring offenders to justice.