33 Excavators Missing Under Police Watch After Anti-Galamsey Operation – Hannah Bissiw

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei—who also serves as the National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)—revealed that 40 excavators seized during the operation were entrusted to the police due to the unavailability of lowbed vehicles for immediate transportation.

However, when her team returned to the site the following morning, only seven excavators remained.

“We handed over 40 excavators to the police, but when we returned the next morning, only seven were left,” Dr. Bissiw-Kotei recounted. “I spoke with the Police Commander about the incident because I was unhappy with it. Right now, the seven we managed to recover are being held.”

The shocking disappearance has raised serious questions about the integrity of the security arrangements surrounding seized illegal mining equipment and the broader fight against illegal mining (galamsey) in Ghana.

In response to the incident, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei says she revised her operational strategy for subsequent actions. During a recent follow-up operation in Atetem, she moved with a more fortified team that included engineers, uniformed and plainclothes police officers, and military personnel. She also disclosed wearing body armor, citing a previous ambush and gunfire exchange during one of her field operations.

The engineers played a crucial role in disabling and removing excavators that had been fitted with trackers to prevent relocation, ensuring that the equipment could be effectively impounded.

Since assuming leadership at the MDF, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei has taken a bold and confrontational stance against illegal mining, prioritizing the protection of mining communities and the preservation of natural resources. Her uncompromising approach has made her a target of threats from those profiting from galamsey.

The Minerals Development Fund has grown increasingly vocal about the worsening effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment and local livelihoods. The loss of the excavators has now added a new layer of urgency—and controversy—to the national conversation around galamsey.