Galamseyers are illegal gold miners.[13] Their activities have depleted Ghana’s forest cover and caused water pollution, due to the crude and unregulated nature of the mining process.[13] In 2017, Operation Vanguard was launched to curb illegal artisanal mining in Ghana.
![](https://ghanacrimereport.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/galamsey-ghana-illegal-mining-effective-states-abdulai-manchester-1.jpg)