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INTERPOL busts gold smuggling ring in Guyana
…three persons arrested, $118M cash, raw gold seized
(Kaieteur News) – Three men found in possession of unprocessed gold and more than $118 million in cash were detained in Guyana as part of a major multinational crackdown on illegal gold mining and money laundering, INTERPOL has confirmed.
The arrests formed part of a sweeping cross-border enforcement effort involving law enforcement agencies from Guyana, Brazil, Suriname and French Guiana, which resulted in the detention of 198 suspects. The coordinated initiative marked the first transnational operation among the four countries aimed specifically at dismantling illegal gold mining networks operating across porous borders.
Images from the operation.
INTERPOL in a release on Thursday said the three detainees are believed to be linked to a leading Guyanese gold exporting firm.
The operation involved more than 24,500 checks on vehicles and individuals across the participating countries. INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “The surge in international gold prices in recent years has resulted in increased illegal gold mining making it the fastest-growing revenue stream for organised crime groups, including in Latin America. At INTERPOL, we are committed to working with our partners to disrupt those networks and prevent more damage to this remote and environmentally fragile region.”
The exercise also resulted in the seizure of mercury cylinders valued at over US$60,000 in Guyana and Suriname. Mercury, which is commonly used in illegal gold mining to separate gold from other metals, is extremely harmful to both the environment and human health. INTERPOL noted that the cylinders were being transported by bus and were concealed in solar panels.
Dubbed Operation Guyana Shield, the initiative also included “mirror operations”, with officers from Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname conducting simultaneous checks and searches on opposite banks of the Oyapock and Maroni rivers, which form borders between French Guiana and Brazil to the south and Suriname to the west.
As part of the operation, authorities inspected several small riverside stores along the Maroni River that sell mining supplies and equipment and, in some cases, are suspected of facilitating gold smuggling and the illegal trade in mercury.
The inspections marked a first step in transnational police deployment in the area and led to the seizure of counterfeit medicines, alcohol and cigarettes valued at more than US$40,000.
INTERPOL further reported that officers seized mining equipment, including pumps and gold-trapping mats, along with firearms and communications devices such as mobile phones. Authorities also intercepted a bus transporting undocumented migrants, including several minors suspected of being exploited for child labour or sexual abuse.
Operation Guiana Shield was supported by EL PACCTO 2.0, a European Union cooperation programme that assists Latin American and Caribbean countries in combating transnational organised crime, in partnership with INTERPOL and the High Impact Environmental Crime team of the Dutch Police.
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