Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday, said local authorities are investigating what is believed to be the smuggling of Guyana’s gold into Brazil.
Dr. Jagdeo was responding to concerns raised at a People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) press conference following a Brazilian news report earlier this month.
According to that report, the Brazilian Federal Police were searching for a Guyanese gold miner who is allegedly involved in laundering about US$16.9 million from illegal gold sales through shell companies in Brazil.
“….when we saw an article recently in Brazil, we had not been officially notified before that all of this gold was going into Brazil.
“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.
