Nine members of the Blue Water Guards (BWG) have reportedly been arrested by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) at Manso Adubia in the Ashanti Region over allegations of bribery and impersonating NAIMOS operatives.
According to an urgent internal notice issued to Blue Water Guards, the nine personnel are accused of taking bribes while presenting themselves as members of NAIMOS, conduct authorities have described as disgraceful and damaging to the reputation of the anti-illegal mining initiative.
The notice stressed that Blue Water Guards have no authority to operate or present themselves as NAIMOS personnel, warning that anyone found engaging in such conduct would face the full rigours of the law.
“All guards are hereby cautioned to desist from such acts and remain professional. No BWG is authorised to act as NAIMOS,” the notice stated.
The development is significant given the operational relationship between the two groups. NAIMOS and the Blue Water Guards have previously undertaken joint anti-illegal mining operations from the Manso Adubia operational base, including enforcement activities targeting illegal mining along river corridors in the Ashanti Region.
The arrests also come amid concerns over the integrity of personnel deployed to protect Ghana’s water bodies from illegal mining.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources had recently indicated that allegations of misconduct involving some Blue Water Guards warranted scrutiny, although it maintained at the time that there was no empirical evidence establishing that specific personnel had been caught engaging in illegal activity.
If the latest allegations are established, the arrests would represent a significant test of the accountability mechanisms surrounding the Blue Water Guards programme, which was established to help protect rivers and other water bodies from illegal mining.
The notice consequently warned personnel that misconduct would not be tolerated and urged all Blue Water Guards to maintain professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
The specific allegations against the nine personnel have not yet been independently established in court, and the notice provided does not indicate whether formal charges have been filed.
