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 EPA destroys over 190 dredges used in illicit riverbed mining

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AYV News, August 13, 2025

In what may be regarded as one of the most significant environmental enforcement actions in recent times, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), has destroyed a total of 199 dredges used in illicit riverbed mining during raids in Tonkolili, Bombali, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono, and Bo districts.

The large-scale operation, captured in a newly released video, highlights the scale of the crisis threatening Sierra Leone’s rivers and ecosystems. EPA officials say the destruction of the dredges is part of a wider government effort to curb pollution, protect communities, and safeguard the country’s future.

EPA Executive Chairman, Dr. Abu-Bakar S. Massaquoi said three urgent concerns emerged from the latest crackdown. He stated that local complicity in illegal mining is more widespread than previously understood, with community actors being in the know of these operations and, in certain cases, actively support them.

He said investigations have been able to link these illicit activities to organised cross-border networks. The scale and financing of the dredging operations point to backing beyond the means of most local residents, with many operators identified as non-nationals: Chinese, Indians, Liberians and Ghanaians.

Massaquoi stressed that enforcement must be paired with sustainable livelihood options to address the root causes, and raise awareness on the environmental and economic damage posed to the communities while rethinking communication strategies to better connect with affected populations and foster shared responsibility.

The EPA chairman said as a non-subvented agency their ability to sustain such costly operations depends on resource availability, whistle-blower incentives, the effectiveness of Community Environmental Enforcement Committees (CEECOMs), and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs’ commitment to holding local leaders accountable.

The agency urges citizens to report illegal activities through its Orange toll-free line, 1999, stressing that protecting the country’s rivers is a shared national duty.

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