The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has intercepted 1,070 banned Chanfang mining machines at Tema Port, in what officials describe as one of the largest seizures in Ghana’s ongoing fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. The March 3, 2026 operation followed months of intelligence gathering and coordination among multiple state security and regulatory agencies.
According to sources at the EPA’s Tema office, the machines had been concealed in imported containers and were allegedly linked to a well-organised Chanfang cartel suspected of contributing to the widespread destruction of rivers and forest reserves. Chanfang machines, widely used in alluvial gold mining, were outlawed in October 2025 after the EPA issued a nationwide directive prohibiting their manufacture, importation, sale and use due to their severe environmental impact.
The machines were reportedly imported in violation of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) and the Environmental Protection (Environmental Assessment) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2504). The seizure comes amid broader restoration efforts, including the deployment of ionic nano-copper technology to treat polluted sections of the River Birim at an estimated cost of $200,000 per kilometre.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) deserves unreserved commendation for its decisive interception of 1,070 banned Chanfang machines at Tema Port. This is not merely a seizure, it is a bold statement that Ghana’s environmental laws are not decorative documents but binding instruments meant to safeguard our national survival.
For years, illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has ravaged major water bodies such as the Pra, Ankobra and Birim rivers, threatening potable water supply, agriculture and aquatic ecosystems. The use of Chanfang machines, notorious for their efficiency in alluvial mining, has accelerated river pollution, increased siltation and destroyed fertile farmlands. Their outright ban in October 2025 under the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) was, therefore, both necessary and urgent.
What makes this latest development significant is the intelligence-led approach adopted by the EPA and collaborating agencies. The revelation that the machines were concealed in containers and linked to an organised cartel exposes the sophistication of the networks profiting from environmental destruction. This is no longer the work of desperate individuals digging in riverbeds; it is an industrial-scale operation backed by powerful interests.
The interception also highlights a deeper concern, how prohibited equipment continues to find its way into Ghana’s ports despite regulatory safeguards. It calls for enhanced scrutiny at entry points, stronger customs enforcement and closer collaboration between port authorities, national security and environmental regulators. If 1,070 machines could be intercepted in a single operation, one shudders to imagine how many may have slipped through in the past.
The economic implications are equally troubling. The EPA is currently spending an estimated $200,000 per kilometre to treat polluted sections of the River Birim using ionic nano-copper technology. That is taxpayers’ money, funds that could otherwise be channelled into schools, healthcare or infrastructure. Preventing environmental damage is far cheaper than attempting to reverse it.
However, seizures alone will not win the war against galamsey. The prosecution of those behind the smuggling syndicate must be swift and transparent. Asset tracing, financial investigations and deterrent sentencing should accompany such enforcement actions. Without consequences, cartels will regroup and innovate.
The Chronicle believes the EPA has sent a powerful signal. The question now is whether the momentum will be sustained. Ghana’s water security, food systems and public health depend on it. The protection of our rivers is not an environmental luxury it is a national imperative.
For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
