Gregbeu, Ivory Coast – The Ivorian National Gendarmerie is intensifying its fight against illegal gold mining , a scourge that degrades the environment and threatens security in the central-west region of the country. On Saturday, November 8, 2025, a raid conducted by elements of the Daloa Mobile Squadron in the sub-prefecture of Gregbeu (Zoukougbeu department) resulted in the dismantling of an illegal mining site and the arrest of four suspects.

A Forceful Intervention Against Illegal Exploitation

This action is part of the national strategy to eradicate illegal gold mining, an activity that fuels organized crime and causes serious environmental damage. Having been informed of the resumption of clandestine activities in this gold-bearing area, the gendarmerie planned a swift intervention.

Upon arriving at the scene, located on a plot normally operated by the Gregbeu gold mine company, law enforcement officers surprised several gold miners in the act of extracting ore.

1. Four individuals arrested : After an attempted escape, four offenders were apprehended. They are JM Batiogo (18 years old, Ivorian), A. Bouboukali (16 years old, Togolese), A. Sawadogo (29 years old, Burkinabe) and D. Mamoudou (38 years old, Burkinabe).
2. Equipment seizure : A large quantity of equipment was confiscated, including five crushers , seven motor pumps , and nearly 700 meters of connecting pipes , used for suction and washing of gold-bearing gravel.

The seized equipment, as well as the four individuals involved, were transferred to the Zoukougbeu gendarmerie brigade for the purposes of the investigation.

A Crucial Security and Environmental Issue

According to a security source, the operation, conducted without major incident, revealed the scale of the phenomenon, often orchestrated by well-organized networks that manipulate gold miners, sometimes very young. Illegal gold mining is, in fact, a major issue for Côte d'Ivoire.

Illegal gold mining remains a major security and environmental challenge for Côte d'Ivoire. In addition to soil degradation and mercury pollution of waterways, this illegal activity attracts traffickers from various backgrounds and fuels parallel economic networks that operate entirely outside state control.

Local authorities warmly congratulated the Daloa Mobile Squadron for its effectiveness and urged the population to strengthen their collaboration with the gendarmerie by reporting any suspicious activity or presence in the gold mining areas.

This new intervention underlines the firm commitment of the Ivorian state to protect its natural resources, clean up its mining areas, and safeguard its economy against the foundations undermined by these illegal activities.