National Security operatives in the Ashanti Region have arrested 15 people over their alleged involvement in sand winning on the Kumasi-Accra Expressway project, MyJoyOnline reports.
The suspects, all male, were picked up in the Sewua, Donyina and Appiadu enclave during a swoop on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Six trucks, including a wheel loader, were also impounded during the raid.
An Assistant Liaison Officer, Ivan Bilson Yeboah, said the suspects were being sent to the National Security national office in Accra for custody and further investigations. "They are on their way to Accra for our officers at the headquarters to carry out further investigations," he said.
According to MyJoyOnline, a viral video showed people digging and carting away white sand from the expressway corridor for commercial purposes, raising concerns about damage to the right of way needed for the planned road.
Mr Bilson Yeboah described the activity as unacceptable and urged the public to stop such practices. "We have seen a considerable damage being done to the road," he said. He added that the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) would meet on Thursday to discuss how to sustain surveillance and step up patrols along that stretch of the expressway.
Some suspects remain at large and security officers are searching for them, the report said.
Bosomtwe District Chief Executive Ing. Abdullah Hamidu told JoyNews that preliminary checks by the Assembly suggested the sand winners claimed they had permission from the Ejisu Municipal Assembly to dig. They could not produce a copy of the permit. "I ordered them to stop the operation and referred the matter to the police for further investigations," he said.