Jagdeo: Greater enforcement actions needed against gold smuggling

The government wants to see greater enforcement actions against gold smuggling in Guyana, said Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Vice President made these remarks at his weekly press conference on Thursday.

This statement follows local authorities’ recent success in dismantling a gold smuggling ring involving Guyanese and Brazilians.

Jagdeo also highlighted that several intelligence operations are ongoing to curb such practices, with information indicating that these operations extend beyond the mining areas and include citizens from Georgetown as well.

“From what we have been hearing, it is a ring of people from Georgetown too. I can tell you that there are operations targeting individuals who are buying gold at a price significantly above the world market rate because they are evading their government’s royalty and smuggling it into Brazil,” he said.

He added that the government has received the names of several individuals involved and has launched investigations and intelligence operations to address the situation.

An operation led by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in Lethem, Region Nine, earlier this month resulted in the arrest of two Brazilian nationals and the seizure of $26 million and a large quantity of gold.