In a sweeping operation aimed at dismantling illegal gold smuggling networks, officers of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on Wednesday afternoon arrested a Brazilian national and seized over $17 million in cash along with a significant quantity of raw gold in Central Mahdia.
The suspect, identified as Osmil Da Silva, was taken into custody at his business premises—Filhao Shop—during a coordinated intelligence-led raid. SOCU agents also confiscated equipment and key documents believed to be linked to an ongoing smuggling operation.
Da Silva is currently assisting police with their investigation.
Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, who heads SOCU, confirmed the details of the operation and emphasized that the team had intervened just in time to prevent the gold from being smuggled out of the country.
“This was a significant disruption of a suspected smuggling network,” Karimbaksh said. “These operations are part of our ongoing efforts to protect Guyana’s natural resources and to ensure that the proceeds of our country’s wealth benefit our people, not criminal enterprises.”
Wednesday’s seizure is the latest in a string of operations targeting illegal mining activities, particularly in interior regions where oversight is more challenging. The arrest of Da Silva marks another instance involving foreign nationals operating in violation of Guyana’s mining and border laws.
Just two months ago, in March, two Brazilian nationals were apprehended in Lethem, Region 9, with over $26 million in cash and a large cache of gold. In April, another bust in the same region resulted in the arrests of two more Brazilians, a Cuban, and a Guyanese, and the seizure of more than $30 million in gold and $31 million in cash.
Authorities say the rise in such incidents points to the growing reach and sophistication of transnational gold smuggling rings.
“This is not just about illegal mining anymore,” a senior law enforcement official remarked on condition of anonymity. “We’re dealing with well-organized networks, often with foreign links, operating deep in our hinterlands and undermining the country’s economy.”
SOCU says it will continue its targeted operations across vulnerable regions, working in collaboration with other national security agencies and using intelligence-driven methods to dismantle these networks.
“We’re sending a clear message,” Karimbaksh added. “Illegal mining and smuggling will not be tolerated. We will find you, and we will act.”
