• legal action being pursued after breach of AML/CFT regulations

THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has terminated several employees, including a manager, following an investigation into the unauthorised transfer of vehicles linked to Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, who has previously been sanctioned and indicted for alleged fraud, customs violations, and money laundering.

The action comes after authorities determined that the employees acted in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act. The legislation criminalises the transfer or conversion of property believed to be the proceeds of crime, even if the person has not been convicted of a serious offence.

According to the GRA, the employees facilitated the transfer of motor vehicles from Azruddin Mohamed’s name to others, contrary to statutory requirements and established agency procedures. Following the discovery, the staff involved were dismissed from their positions.

The Authority, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force, said it is pursuing legal proceedings against Mohamed and the former employees for the breach.

The GRA in a press statement noted: “A person commits the offence of money laundering if he knowingly or having reasonable grounds to believe that any property in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of crime – converts or transfer property knowing or having reason to believe that property is the proceeds of crime, with the aim of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of that property.” Moreover, section 3(4) of the said act explicitly states that “For the purposes of this Act, it is not necessary for any person to be convicted of a serious offence to prove that property is the proceeds of crime.”

The GRA reiterated its call for the public to report any suspected illicit or unlawful activities, noting that all information will be treated confidentially and may result in rewards under applicable law.

In June 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, his father, Nazar ‘Shell’ Mohamed, and their company, Mohamed’s Enterprise, for allegedly participating in schemes to evade taxes and launder money tied to gold export activities.

On October 2, 2025, a Florida federal grand jury unsealed an 11‑count indictment against Azruddin and Nazar Mohamed for conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and customs violations connected to an extensive tax evasion scheme involving millions of dollars and fraudulent gold exports.

On October 30, 2025, police arrested Azruddin and his father under a U.S. extradition request, moving to process them for transfer to face the U.S. charges. They were granted bail but remain subject to ongoing extradition proceedings in courts.