The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) says shots were fired towards its task force during a follow-up operation at Eshiem in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.
According to Kessben Online, which published the NAIMOS account, the 27 October 2026 operation destroyed nine chanfang machines, 11 water pumps and a makeshift structure. Personnel also removed a control component from an excavator found at one site.
NAIMOS said suspected illegal miners fled as the task force arrived, some entering the Ankobra River. It said one person reportedly could not reach the far bank.
During withdrawal, the task force met a road obstruction by a group that included a person carrying a firearm. NAIMOS said shots were fired from a nearby cocoa farm as personnel cleared the road, and the team disengaged with no casualties among its personnel.
The 22 chanfang machines and truck intercepted at Eshiem on 25 October have been moved to NAIMOS headquarters in Accra for investigation into their source and ownership.
No arrests were reported from the operation, and no one has been charged over the shooting.