On 30 September, Côte d'Ivoire delivered the first batch of equipment to its security forces to combat illegal gold mining within six months. The delivery included 30 pickup trucks, 35 troop transport vehicles, 300 motorcycles, 12 zodiacs, and several drones. These resources are intended for the Special Group for the Fight Against Illegal Gold Mining (GS-LOI), the Special Brigade for Surveillance and Intervention, and local units of the gendarmerie and Waters and Forests. The full order includes 48 pickup trucks, 40 troop transport vehicles, 360 motorcycles, 84 zodiacs, and 35 drones. These will be used in eleven priority regions: Bagoué, Bounkani, Cavally, Gbêkê, Hambol, Iffou, Indénié-Djuablin, Moronou, Nawa, Sud-Comoé, and Worodougou. At the beginning of September, regional prefects pledged to eliminate illegal gold mining in their areas within six months. The issue affects 29 of the country's 31 regions, and authorities admit that previously evacuated sites are often reoccupied. A bill targeting financiers was adopted at a national workshop in Yamoussoukro on 4 and 5 September. The National Security Council (CNS) reiterated its plan on 17 September, which includes strengthening local forces, adding battalions to the GS-LOI, and establishing 21 river security platoons to monitor four major rivers. The CNS also suspended new semi-industrial and artisanal mining permits for six months. The plan includes restoring degraded land with military engineering and retraining miners in legal activities. On 23 September, the Council of Ministers passed a bill to amend the Penal Code. The new law creates specific offenses for financiers, receivers, and owners of illegal mining sites. A public official involved could face up to twenty years in prison. Previously, enforcement mainly focused on workers found at the sites. The bill still needs approval from Parliament but will give judges a legal basis to target funders and protectors of illegal operations. Authorities reported that between July 2021 and July 2026, more than 1,000 sites were evacuated during nearly 8,500 operations, and 4,665 people were referred for legal action. Seizures included approximately 136 kg of gold, over one billion CFA francs, and 745 excavators. The CNS stated that over 8,500 sites had been evacuated since 2021, though there may be confusion between the number of sites and operations. The gendarmerie reported 1,114 sites evacuated during 953 operations in the first seven months of 2026, with 1,531 people arrested. In Indénié-Djuablin, an operation from 16 to 27 August by the Abengourou gendarmerie and the GS-LOI’s nautical team destroyed 109 dredgers, 134 motor pumps, 204 crushers, and 200 washing devices. Only three people were arrested. Machine owners are often out of reach, so the government is targeting financial and logistical networks. Security forces often find excavators, motor pumps, and dredgers installed in riverbeds, indicating that clandestine gold mining is now largely mechanized. On 14 July, the Special Brigade of the Abidjan Group for Intervention and Research (GIRA) of Customs intercepted two tractor-trailers on the Adjamé-Yopougon axis, transporting 186 dredgers in parts without documents. Customs did not specify the origin of the equipment, but such machinery is expensive and must be imported, implying foreign suppliers and financiers. Several judicial cases have involved Chinese nationals, though official statistics only note that about 65% of those referred were foreign. On 7 November 2023, the GS-LOI arrested 31 people in the classified forest of Kobo, including 10 Ivorians, 12 Chinese, and others. Prosecutors stated that the sites were exploited by Chinese nationals. Trials of the Fronan and Dabakala gold mining cases, involving 71 defendants, ended in June 2025. Xu Qi, a Chinese businessman, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a fine of 50 million CFA francs. An Ivorian officer received the same sentence. Apithy Sourou Aurélien, an Ivorian-Beninese businessman, received seven years in prison and a fine of one billion CFA francs. A former elected official was also convicted. In 2019, a dozen Chinese nationals were arrested during operations in several regions, according to a security source. The Chinese ambassador, Wu Jie, met with the Ivorian minister of communication in September to discuss the role of Chinese nationals in illegal mining. The meeting expressed Beijing's support for Côte d'Ivoire's policies, though no concrete measures were announced. Ghana has faced similar issues for over fifteen years, with a 2019 study showing that about 50,000 Chinese workers were involved in small-scale gold mining between 2008 and 2013. Their equipment increased production but also environmental damage. In 2025, Ghana announced the expulsion of 107 foreigners involved in illegal mining, including 92 Chinese. By late 2026, two Chinese-owned companies were ordered to close. In 2025, UN experts warned Yaoundé and Beijing about the use of mercury by Chinese gold mining companies in Cameroon. Chinese investors appear in illegal mining activities across several countries, but not as a unified industry. Mercury and cyanide pollution in rivers has raised concerns, with the Ivorian anti-pollution center warning of an environmental crisis. The CNS's river platoons aim to protect water resources. Côte d'Ivoire's legal gold production reached 59.33 tons in 2025, with expectations of 62 tons in 2026. A national refinery is set to open in 2027, and Abidjan aims to be the leading African producer by 2035. The government is seeking industrial investors while trying to control clandestine mining. Prefects have until March 2027 to meet their goals, with success measured by the number of recolonized sites and legal actions against financiers and suppliers, some of whom are Chinese. Beijing has expressed support but has not outlined specific ways to assist the Ivorian judiciary.