Forestry Commission Destroys 1,103 Chanfang Machines In Western Region, 159 Illegal Miners Arrested

The Forestry Commission has intensified its war against illegal mining in forest reserves in the Western Region, destroying 1,103 chanfang machines and 1,422 water pumps between January and September 2026.

The Western Regional Manager of the Commission, Nana Poku Bosopem, disclosed this at a press briefing on operations in the region.

According to him, 159 suspects have been arrested in connection with illegal mining activities within forest reserves and are facing various charges, while 36 different illegal mining cases are pending before the Circuit Court in Takoradi.

"So in all, we have 36 different cases pending before the Circuit Court in Takoradi. Across the entire region, there are 36 different cases, that tells you each operation comes with its own case," he explained.

He said each operation results in arrests, with suspects handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution. Other cases are still under police investigation and will be sent to court in due course.

Nana Bosopem noted that illegal mining in the reserves is not done with bare hands, as miners come with heavy equipment. He revealed that the Commission has been successful in keeping excavators - which are very destructive - out of the reserves.

"In the Western Region the entire year we've only encountered three excavators in the forest reserves as of January to September ending. We've had instances where we have had to immobilize not less than three," he said.

He added that a total of 1,103 chanfang machines have been destroyed, stressing that the Commission will not cede any part of the forest reserves to illegal miners.

"We want to use this medium to serve a warning to the people. We are never, never ever going to cede even one square meter of our forest reserves to miners. We want to be very clear, we want to be very categorical on that," he declared.

The Regional Manager expressed concern about the sophisticated nature of the illegal mining camps, noting the presence of fleets of vehicles including Land Cruisers in small forest communities, which he said could become a major security threat if not checked swiftly.

He warned that the days of restricting forest officers are over, and the Commission will unleash the full force of the state in the coming days.

"Your 50 minutes of freedom is over. The days of restricting forest officers are over. We are going to unleash the full force of the state and that of the Forestry Commission in the coming days. Anybody who has a vehicle or machinery, leave. If you leave the reserve you have no problem with us, but if you stay there and encounter our officers, I sure bet you, you will not be happy for the rest of your life," he warned.