Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Guyana seeks int’l law enforcement expert to tackle gold smuggling
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, has announced Government’s intention to seek international help to tackle the levels of gold smuggling in Guyana.
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
Trotman, at a press conference at Cara Lodge yesterday, spoke about issues facing every sector falling under his Ministry. Of course, Trotman also spoke about the progress that is being made and initiatives that are underway.
The Minister told the media that there have been observations of new trends indicating that gold smugglers are once again on the prowl to rob Guyana of millions of dollars in royalties and taxes.
Trotman reiterated his Government’s strong stance against smuggling and said that because of this, a decision has been made to contact an international law enforcement expert to function in Guyana and assist in ongoing efforts to interdict gold smugglers.
The Minister said that the main objective of sourcing such an expert is not to target any specific gold miner. He said that the expert will be expected to advise the government and assess the situation so that there will be a better grip on curtailing smuggling activities.
Trotman refused to divulge from which country the expert will be coming. He said, however, “We don’t expect to eradicate it (smuggling) altogether but we have seen trends that suggest attempts to reengage in smuggling in some quarters.”
Trotman said that there were loopholes in the systems that were being exploited. He said that moves are afoot to tighten these.
He repeated what he said a few months ago which is, that people are making jewelry and breaking them so that it can be considered scrap gold which attracts lower taxes.
A few months back, Trotman told the media that persons have been switching to more innovative ways of smuggling but that he was confident that the relevant authorities will soon be able to put a lid on that too.
He made reference to an arrest at the Eugene. F. Correia International Airport of someone in possession of a large gold chain.
Late last year, amidst deep worry by the new administration over billions of dollars in lost taxes and royalties, a team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US premier investigative law enforcement agency, and the Department of Homeland Security, visited Guyana and briefed authorities here on their findings.
The information reportedly fingered a number of big players in the industry. It was later revealed that approximately 15,000 ounces of gold was slipping across the borders every month. Minister Trotman had tentatively put the smuggled figures between 50 and 60 percent of total production.
Trotman had revealed then, that based on what came out of the meeting with the US law enforcement agencies at the Ministry of Public Security, that the gold was being smuggled into Guyana from Colombia and Venezuela. The systems at the border were regarded as weak.
Meanwhile, gold from Guyana was reportedly being smuggled to places such as Brazil and Suriname, where it moves on to Europe, even as there are indications that gold smuggled from Guyana is landing at the Miami International Airport and the John F. Kennedy Airport in the United States. (Abena Rockcliffe- Campbell)
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