National Security personnel in the Ashanti Region arrested 15 individuals on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, during a swoop targeting unauthorized sandwinning along the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project, seizing six trucks and a wheel loader while transporting suspects to Accra for further questioning.
The operation unfolded in the Sewua-Donyina-Appiadu enclave, where authorities discovered individuals excavating and removing white sand from the expressway corridor for commercial purposes as reported by Myjoyonline. A viral video circulating online first drew attention to the ongoing destruction along the major transit route connecting Ghana’s capital and second-largest city.
Ashanti Region Security Operations and Vehicle Seizures
Security forces impounded six tipper trucks alongside a wheel loader and other machinery utilized in the excavation work during the raid according to Graphic Online. All fifteen arrested suspects are male, and officials have transported them to the national headquarters in Accra for custody and deeper investigation noted by Citinewsroom.
🚨 Ghana’s National Security operatives have arrested suspected illegal sand winners at Sewua in the Ashanti Region, along the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway route, which was cleared by the military.🎥: Amaro Shakur pic.twitter.com/VRb6ow7QxD
An Assistant Liaison Officer, Ivan Bilson Yeboah, detailed the next steps for the detained individuals.
They are on their way to Accra for our officers at the headquarters to carry out further investigations.
Ivan Bilson Yeboah, Assistant Liaison Officer, via Myjoyonline
Bosomtwe District Assembly Response and Ejisu Permit Claims
Bosomtwe District Chief Executive Ing. Abdullah Hamidu addressed conflicting accounts regarding authorization for the site work. While preliminary investigations by the Assembly suggested the sand winners claimed to have obtained authorization from the Ejisu Municipality Assembly, the DCE explained:.
When they were directed to my office, they told me they had obtained a permit from Ejisu, but they could not provide a copy. I ordered them to stop the operation and referred the matter to the police for further investigations.
Ing. Abdullah Hamidu, Bosomtwe District Chief Executive, via Myjoyonline
Ing. Hamidu further clarified as reported by Theoverseeronline that an opinion leader in the Sewua-Ayoum area had handed over the land to the individuals without notifying the Assembly. To counter the threat posed to the infrastructure project, the Assembly convened an emergency meeting with area chiefs and Assembly Members documented by Yen News.
Regional Security Council Surveillance Plans
The Ashanti Regional Security Council scheduled a Thursday session to evaluate new measures for protecting the vital transport corridor highlighted by Citinewsroom. Ivan Bilson Yeboah noted that REGSEC would be meeting on Thursday to look at how to sustain surveillance on the stretch to nip some of these activities in the bud.
