IN a major intelligence-driven joint operation on Wednesday, officers from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)—a branch of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)—carried out an operation in Central Mahdia. The operation resulted in the arrest of Brazilian national Osmil Da Silva at his business place, Filhao Shop, Lot 111 Mile, Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight).

A substantial quantity of raw gold, equipment, documents and over $17 million in cash were seized during the operation. Da Silva is in police custody assisting with the investigation.

According to Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, Head of SOCU, officers successfully intercepted an alleged illegal gold smuggling operation before the gold could be transported across the border.

The Unit stated that this operation is part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat the illicit gold trade and protect Guyana’s mineral resources.

“The outcome of yesterday operation reinforces the seriousness with which national security agencies are responding to illegal mining and smuggling activities. This incident also adds to a growing list of cases involving Brazilian nationals operating unlawfully within Guyana’s gold-mining regions,” SOCU stated in a release issued on Thursday.

SOCU reminded that in March 2025, two Brazilian nationals were arrested in Lethem, Region Nine during an operation that led to the seizure of a large quantity of gold and over $26 million in cash.

In a separate operation in April 2025, the Unit recalled that two more Brazilians national, along with a Cuban and a Guyanese, were taken into custody after authorities confiscated more than $30 million in gold and $31 million in cash.

The law enforcement agency emphasised that increasing frequency of these incidents has raised serious concerns about the scale and organisation of transnational gold smuggling networks operating within Guyana’s borders.

The Government of Guyana has revealed plans to implement stricter penalties and sanctions for individuals found smuggling significant quantities of gold.

This move comes in the wake of a United States investigation detailing gold smuggling, tax evasion, and corruption involving wealthy Guyanese businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, as well as former government official Mae Thomas—all of whom are currently under U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed for engaging in public corruption, including the alleged defrauding of the Guyanese government of over US$50 million in unpaid duty taxes.

Mae Thomas, the former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Labour, was also sanctioned for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for facilitating the awarding of government contracts to the Mohameds.