The Forestry Commission has stepped up enforcement efforts to safeguard Ghana’s forest reserves, following a decisive operation that dismantled illegal mining activities within the Boin Tano Forest Reserve in the Aowin Division.
Acting on credible intelligence, two task forces of the Forestry Commission, including a Rapid Response Team, carried out a late-night operation in the early hours of Monday, January 19, 2026, targeting illegal mining sites at Jema Asemkrom deep within the reserve.
The operation led to the arrest of 13 Ghanaian nationals who were actively engaged in unauthorised gold mining activities that had already degraded an estimated 0.4 to 0.5 hectares of protected forest land.
According to the Aowin District Manager of the Forestry Commission, Joe Appiah Frimpong, the task force uncovered four temporary mining camps established to support illegal extraction in the reserve.
“These operations were taking place far inside the forest, causing extensive damage to vegetation and threatening the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem,” he said.
The Forestry Commission destroyed the illegal camps and seized mining equipment, including changfang machines and hand tools, which were subsequently set ablaze to prevent their reuse.
Mr Frimpong confirmed that the suspects, aged between 19 and 29, have been handed over to the Aowin Divisional Police Command and have since been arraigned before court.
He noted that the operation forms part of broader efforts to enforce the President’s renewed directives on tackling illegal mining, which continues to undermine environmental protection, water security, and rural livelihoods across the country.
“Galamsey poses a serious threat to our forests, water bodies, and biodiversity,” Mr Frimpong stated. “We are committed to sustaining these operations to ensure that protected areas remain intact for future generations.”
Environmental advocates have consistently warned that illegal mining within forest reserves accelerates deforestation, pollutes rivers, and weakens Ghana’s climate resilience efforts. They have described the Forestry Commission’s intensified enforcement as a critical step toward restoring ecological balance.
Residents of communities around Boin Tano have welcomed the intervention, citing long-standing concerns about polluted water sources, damaged farmlands, and declining agricultural productivity linked to galamsey activities.
The Forestry Commission has appealed to the public to support the fight against illegal mining by providing timely information, stressing that the protection of forest reserves is both a legal obligation and a shared national responsibility.
With sustained operations planned across the Aowin Division, the Commission says it remains resolute in its mission to defend Ghana’s forests and water bodies against illegal exploitation.