A major smuggling operation at Guyana’s border with Brazil was thwarted through an intelligence-led operation which was conducted yesterday afternoon in Lethem, Region 9.
Special Organised Crime Unit officers detained two Brazilian nationals and seized a substantial quantity of gold along with over $26 million in Guyana dollars during the operation.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Albina Filho Alves Vieira, a 42-year-old Brazilian salesman from Boa Vista, and Erizangela Regia De Olivera, a 39-year-old clothes vendor also from Boa Vista, Brazil. Both are currently assisting authorities with their investigations.
Deputy Commissioner Fazil Karimbaksh, Head of SOCU, confirmed that officers successfully disrupted the smuggling operation before the precious metal could be transported across the border into Brazil.
“The operation also serves as a warning to individuals and groups engaged in such illicit activities that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant and proactive in their enforcement efforts,” authorities said in a statement.
This crackdown follows a similar enforcement action in July last year at the Ramada Princess Hotel, where officials arrested three Chinese nationals. That operation resulted in the discovery of over $50 million in Guyanese currency, money-counting machines, and an illegal firearm.
