A secret village in the Western Region made up of 10,000 people engaged in illegal mining activities (galamsey) has been discovered.
Military personnel and officers from the Forestry Commission in a joint operation discovered the village and burnt it to the ground.The secret village is said to be named Abrewa Ne Nkran Community and was discovered deep within the Subri River Forest Reserve. The village is said to be inhabited by both Ghanaians and foreign nationals from Nigeria, Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.According to a report by Joy News, residents of Abrewa Ne Nkran are allegedly involved in various forms of criminal activity, including child prostitution, drug abuse, counterfeit operations, and suspected human trafficking.In a dawn operation carried out on Tuesday, 14 April 2025, the task force raided the settlement, expecting to find approximately 2,000 inhabitants. However, they were shocked to discover over 10,000 residents living in the village.The operation also revealed that the settlement lacked basic social amenities, with video footage showing makeshift wooden structures and poor living conditions.One of the military officers who spoke to the media disclosed alarming evidence of child prostitution:“We managed to rescue a few young foreign nationals, mostly Nigerians. One of them confided in us that her ‘madam’ brought her here and explained the kind of work she was expected to do. Clearly, such a minor has been trafficked and is being forced into prostitution right here in this village. This is the impact of illegal mining—these are the consequences it brings into communities.”galamsey villageThe operation forms part of the government’s intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal mining in a bid to restore the country’s water bodies, forest reserves, and environment.Watch video:
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