The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has intercepted an additional 1,070 chanfang machines concealed in separate containers at Tema Port on Tuesday night, March 3.
The latest seizure comes just weeks after the Authority uncovered more than 200 similar machines hidden in 14 shipping containers during an earlier operation.
EPA officials described the scale of the recent interception as alarming, noting that the machines were reportedly destined for mining districts across the country.
The Authority says it has intensified surveillance on the importation of chanfang machines as part of broader efforts to combat environmental degradation, particularly the pollution of major water bodies.
The enforcement drive aligns with the EPA’s ongoing pilot initiative aimed at restoring contaminated rivers. Recently, the Authority deployed ionic nano-copper technology to treat the heavily polluted River Birim in the Eastern Region, at an estimated cost of $200,000 per kilometre.
Officials maintain that chanfang machines are widely used in illegal and unregulated mining activities and contribute significantly to the destruction of water bodies.
They have reiterated that the EPA will not tolerate the smuggling or unlawful importation of such equipment without proper regulation and oversight.
