THE Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has charged Ivan Anthony Scipio, a 52-year-old painter from Durban Street, Georgetown, with the offence of exporting gold without a licence. This charge is in violation of Section 8 of the Guyana Gold Board Act, Chapter 66:01.
On July 3, 2024, detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (Narcotics Branch) and officers from the Guyana Revenue Authority seized several pieces of gold jewellery and raw gold from Scipio.

The US citizen was attempting to board a flight to New York, USA, without declaring the gold to customs officials or providing the necessary licences. The seized gold is valued at GYD $6,787,569.
Investigations have suggested that Scipio may have been involved in this illegal activity for some time, with evidence indicating that he had made several previous exports without detection.

On June 25, 2024, Scipio appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond Magistrates’ Court, where he was read the charge and pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $800,000 with the condition that he reports to SOCU on the last Friday of every month. The case is scheduled to continue on August 19, 2024.
SOCU’s investigations into possible money laundering activities by Scipio are ongoing.