In a decisive blow against illegal gold smuggling, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has seized a significant quantity of raw gold and over $17 million in cash during a high-stakes operation in Central Mahdia, Region Eight. The raid, which unfolded Wednesday afternoon, led to the arrest of Brazilian national Osmil Da Silva at his business, Filhao Shop.

SOCU officers, acting on intelligence, executed a coordinated operation that also resulted in the confiscation of equipment and critical documents believed to be connected to an ongoing smuggling network. Da Silva is currently in police custody and assisting with the investigation.

Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, head of SOCU, confirmed that the operation successfully disrupted an alleged illegal smuggling scheme before the gold could be transported across Guyana’s borders. “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,” Karimbaksh stated.

This latest seizure is part of a broader, intelligence-driven crackdown targeting illegal mining and transnational smuggling rings operating in Guyana’s interior regions, where oversight is often challenging. Authorities say the sophistication and frequency of such incidents are on the rise, with foreign nationals, particularly Brazilians, frequently implicated.

Just two months prior, in March, two Brazilian nationals were apprehended in Lethem, Region Nine, 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.

Law enforcement officials warn that these cases point to the growing reach and organisation of transnational gold smuggling networks, which threaten to undermine the country’s economy and the integrity of its mineral sector.

“We’re sending a clear message,” said Karimbaksh. “Illegal mining and smuggling will not be tolerated. We will find you, and we will act.”

SOCU has pledged to continue its targeted operations, working closely with other national security agencies and employing intelligence-led strategies to dismantle smuggling networks and safeguard Guyana’s mineral wealth. The government remains resolute in its mission to combat illicit gold smuggling and ensure that offenders are held accountable.