A substantial quantity of raw gold, equipment, documents and over $17 million in cash were seized during the operation. According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), SOCU led a joint operation in Central Mahdia, which resulted in the arrest of Brazilian businessman Osmil Da Silva at his business place, Filhao Shop.

Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, the head of SOCU, indicated that SOCU officers were able to halt the alleged smuggling operation before the seized gold was transported across the border. “This latest success is part of the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt the illicit gold trade and safeguard Guyana’s mineral resources. The outcome of yesterday’s (Wednesday) operation reinforces the seriousness with which national security agencies are responding to illegal mining and smuggling activities,” police said.

The Police Force stated that “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, during an operation that led to the seizure of a large quantity of gold and over Gy$26 million in cash. In a separate operation in April, two more Brazilian nationals, along with a Cuban and a Guyanese, were taken into custody after authorities confiscated more than Gy$30 million in gold and Gy$31 million in cash,” police said. Notwithstanding the busts, the police said that the increasing frequency of the incidents raises serious concerns about the scale and organisation of transnational gold smuggling networks operating in Guyana. (Kaieteur News)