Guyana’s gold industry, one of the country’s most vital economic pillars, is facing what Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo calls a “clear and present danger” from illegal gold smuggling, with just a few bad actors threatening the livelihoods of thousands of legal miners.
On Monday, during an interview on the Starting Point podcast, Jagdeo called for tougher penalties against smugglers, warning that if global sanctions were imposed on Guyana’s gold sector, “all of our gold miners would be put at risk.” Among those he named was US-sanctioned businessman and presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed, who is vying for the presidency under the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) banner in the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
Jagdeo stressed that the threat is real: “A few individuals, including ‘Team Mohammed’ and Azruddin Mohamed, put the sector sometimes at risk. If we don’t get to export our gold, or if it comes with a whole range of paperwork and administrative burdens, who do you think will suffer? It’s the people who mine gold legally, sell it here, and even export it legally.”
The Vice President pointed to recent sting operations as proof the government is not standing idle. Over the past year and a half, law enforcement has apprehended both local and foreign nationals — including Chinese citizens — involved in illegal gold trading. Some of these individuals were caught in Lethem and Mahdia, allegedly buying currency and moving it, along with smuggled gold, to Suriname.
But there is a serious enforcement gap. Jagdeo admitted that while smugglers are sometimes caught and charged, they are often released on bail, and money laundering charges — which carry stiffer penalties — are difficult to pursue. “When you charge people for smuggling gold, it’s harder to charge them for money laundering offences,” he explained. “We now have to strengthen the charges we place on those people because illegal gold smuggling puts the sector at risk.”
The concern, he argued, is not just about individual arrests but about protecting the country’s entire international standing. If Guyana’s gold sector were sanctioned, the ripple effects would be felt across the economy — from miners in the hinterland to exporters in the capital.
The Vice President’s remarks also echoed earlier warnings from President Dr Irfaan Ali, who recently urged miners to operate within the law, mine fairly, and ensure that gold sales remain transparent.
With elections looming and the country’s most valuable export under threat, the question is whether Guyana can shut down the smuggling networks before international watchdogs step in — and whether the political ambitions of those under sanction will add fuel to an already volatile situation.
