EPA intercepts 1,070 Chanfang machines at Tema Port

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has seized 1,070 Chanfang machines concealed at the Tema Port on Tuesday, March 3.

According to officials, the machines are a major contributor to the destruction of water bodies through illegal and unregulated mining activities.

They insisted that the EPA will no longer stand by while such equipment is smuggled into the country without proper regulations and oversight.

The EPA has banned the fabrication, importation, sale, and use of Chanfang machines without a permit, citing sections 3(2)(b) and 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).

According to the authority, any workshops or shops found producing or selling these machines will be shut down, and equipment will be seized and dismantled. It further indicated that they are working with security agencies to enforce the ban and have issued a final warning to individuals and companies engaged in mining within water bodies to stop immediately.