Officers of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) yesterday conducted a joint intelligence-led operation in Central Mahdia which resulted in the arrest of Brazilian national, Osmil Da Silva at his business place, Filhao Shop Lot 111 Mile Potaro Sipruni Region 8.
A substantial quantity of raw gold and cash valued over $17 million were seized during the operation.
The suspect is presently in police custody assisting with the investigation.
According to Head of SOCU Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, SOCU officers were able to disrupt an alleged illegal smuggling operation before the gold could be moved across the border.
This incident also adds to a growing list of cases involving Brazilian nationals operating unlawfully within Guyana’s gold-mining regions.
In March 2025, two Brazilian nationals were arrested in Lethem, Region 9, d.,uring an operation that led to the seizure of a large quantity of gold and over GYD$26 million in cash.
In a separate operation in April, two more Brazilians national, along with a Cuban and a Guyanese, were taken into custody after authorities confiscated more than GYD$30 million in gold and GYD$31 million in cash.
The increasing frequency of these incidents has raised serious concerns about the scale and organisation of transnational gold smuggling networks operating within Guyana’s borders.
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