SOCU seizes gold, over $17M in cash in latest crackdown

Authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal gold mining and smuggling operations, with the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) announcing the arrest of a Brazilian national and the seizure of a large quantity of gold and over $17 million in cash during a major operation in Region Eight.

The suspect, identified as Osmil Da Silva, was arrested on Wednesday, May 21, during a joint intelligence-led operation at his business premises, Filhao Shop, located in Central Mahdia. He is currently in police custody assisting with investigations.

According to Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, Head of SOCU, the unit was able to disrupt an alleged smuggling operation before the gold could be transported across the border.

A significant quantity of raw gold, along with equipment, documents, and millions in Guyanese currency, was confiscated during the raid.

“This latest success is part of the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt the illicit gold trade and safeguard Guyana’s mineral resources,” Karimbaksh said.

The operation adds to a growing list of enforcement actions targeting foreign nationals involved in unlawful gold mining and smuggling activities in Guyana’s hinterland.

In March 2025, two Brazilian nationals were apprehended in Lethem, Region Nine, after authorities seized a large stash of gold and over $26 million in cash. In a separate operation in April, two more Brazilians, along with a Cuban and a Guyanese, were arrested in possession of more than $30 million in gold and $31 million in cash.

The rising number of such incidents has sparked growing concern among authorities over the scale and organisation of transnational gold smuggling networks operating within Guyana’s borders.