Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, vice president, stated on Thursday that local law enforcement is looking into what is thought to be the smuggling of gold from Guyana into Brazil.
Following a Brazilian news article earlier in the month, questions were asked at a People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) press conference, to which Dr. Jagdeo was responding.
According to that article, the Guyanese gold miner was wanted by the Brazilian Federal Police for allegedly laundering nearly US$16.9 million from shady gold sales through Brazilian shell firms.
We weren’t officially informed prior to the current news in Brazil that all of this gold was headed to that country.
“In fact, we found it strange that our gold would go there, we were thinking that Venezuelan gold was coming here but it doesn’t seem so,” Jagdeo said at the press conference.
Concerns were raised about a decline in local gold declarations over the past few years. Because of this, Jagdeo said the government started probing possible gold smuggling.
With the recent report in Brazil, however, an official investigation is ongoing. And if any miner is found culpable, Jagdeo said they will face the consequences, noting that “tough measures” will be implemented.
“A lot of the local medium scale miners, they get concessions from the government too and if they’re part of this racket, then they will face consequences too, as well, as those who are part of the export of the gold,” Jagdeo said.
