GUYANA stands at a crossroads in its handling of one of its most valuable resources: gold. The timely reminder by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and its agencies of the need to buy gold under law is not merely an administrative reminder, but a clarion call to safeguard the economic sovereignty of the country from the corrosive malevolence of gold smuggling.

The insistence by the government that only legal purchase of gold be made by individuals who possess legal licences from the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) or the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is both necessary and overdue.
The surge in reported cases of gold smuggling is no mere victimless crime. When gold is sold outside the official sector, the state loses valuable revenue, undermining investments in public services, infrastructure, and national development. Every ounce of smuggled gold is a setback for the wealth of the nation, and a bonanza for criminal gangs that thrive on lawlessness.

Recent moves—such as the seizure of over $60 million in cash and gold by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)—signal the authorities’ resolve to dismantle these criminal syndicates.
These actions, coupled with the firm stance of prosecuting gold smugglers, are a clear message: Guyana will not tolerate economic sabotage. The government’s focus on targeting large operators, rather than small miners that spur local economies, is pragmatic action that does not cause collateral damage to legitimate livelihoods.

But enforcement is just half the battle. Gold smuggling is a masterful, international crime, usually perpetuated by intricate webs of people who manipulate market rates and launder illicit gains.
The effort of the government has to be holistic and uninterrupted, aimed not only at the “foot soldiers” but also the planners of these schemes. It requires legal reform, increased border security, and international co-operation—particularly with those nations where Guyana’s gold is being smuggled—so that these networks can be uprooted.

The industry itself also has to look inward. Legitimate miners and dealers who obey the law are the industry’s bulwark and must be protected and rewarded. Their co-operation can provide much-needed intelligence to enforcers of the law and facilitate the cleansing of illegal actors from the scene.
Outreach and education, as presently conducted by the GBB, are the key to acquainting all involved with their tasks and the perils of taking part in criminal commerce.
Guyana’s recent record of strengthening its anti-money laundering and anti-corruption mechanisms is encouraging, but only the beginning of the fight.

The international spotlight—depicted in the guise of US sanctions against local businesspeople for gold smuggling—reminds us of global high stakes of non-enforcement and the need for unstinting vigilance. The global stakes are high: foreign banking relations lost, reputation tarnished, and a domestic financial system paralysed.

Finally, Guyana’s gold must not be permitted to be a curse, to enrich a privileged few at the expense of the many.

The government, the police, and the players in the industry must join forces to ensure that gold will remain a source of common prosperity and national pride and not an avenue for crime and corruption. The message must be unambiguous: gold smuggling will be met with the full force of the law, and Guyana’s wealth will be vigorously protected in the interest of all its people.