CHINESE national, Ying Xin Su, a 30-year-old travel agent who was previously charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunition without licence, was, on Thursday, March 27, 2025, slapped with eight counts of money laundering by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

According to a press release, Ying appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith Mc Gusty, where she was not required to plea to the seven indictable charges.

It was stated that the court granted the accused bail in the sum of $1,500,000 on each charge which was laid under Section 3 (1) (c) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Chapter 10:11.

Further, Ying, on the same date, appeared before Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman, at Diamond Magistrate Court, where she was charged with one count of Money Laundering contrary to Section 3 (1) (c) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Chapter 10:11 and she was placed on $200,000 bail.

All the cases were adjourned to April 17, 2025 for report.

“The Special Organised Crime Unit contended that investigations revealed that, on July 9, 2024, members of the Guyana Police Force searched Su’s room located at the Princess Ramada International Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara for gold smuggling and found fifty-two million Guyana dollars (GD$52,000,000.00) including foreign currencies, totalling five thousand four hundred and eighty United States dollars (USD$5,480.00), ninety-seven Barbadian dollars (BDS$97.00) and six hundred and sixty-two Surinamese dollars (SD$662.00), along with an illegal firearm and ammunition.”

“A summary of all the charges revealed that Su acquired or possessed several properties and motor vehicles knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the said properties and motor vehicles were derived, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from proceeds of crime which amounted to Money Laundering,” the SOCU release said.

It added that according to the head of the Special Organised Crime Unit, Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, the money laundering investigations were ongoing for the past eight months and now was the opportune time to institute charges.

Several other money laundering investigations are ongoing.

SOCU used the opportunity to warn persons who are engaged in this illicit practice that the long arm of the law will catch up with them and they will be prosecuted.