-by Svetlana Marshall-

Opposition Member of Parliament and Leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan disclosed today that a United States Government report on gold smuggling while the APNU+AFC was in government, had indicated that over US$2 Billion in gold was smuggled out of Guyana over a 10 year period.

He said the report indicated that while the gold was smuggled out of Guyana, it was declared on arrival in the United States.

The US Government reportedly handed over the report to the David Granger Administration shortly after it entered government.

“In the 10 previous years, do you know how much gold was smuggled out of Guyana? US$2B worth! US$2B worth! And that was during the PPP,” the former Public Security Minister disclosed.

Mr Ramjattan, who served as Public Security Minister in the previous government, made the disclosure today during a press conference hosted by the Alliance For Change (AFC).

His comments come on the heels of new reports of gold smuggling out of Guyana, and the investigation by various US agencies.

Mr. Ramjattan said the current Government should not ignore the recent reports about the US investigating local businessmen and their alleged links to gold smuggling.

He said under the APNU+AFC government, help was sought from the US to address gold smuggling out of Guyana.

“We had to tell the Americans, you want from us all the information on cocaine dealers and gun runners and all of that, we have been providing you. We need to know, how many of these Guyanese are declaring gold at your John F Kennedy Airport,” MP Ramjattan said.

Ramjattan said the report was shocking, as it revealed that an estimated US$2 Billion in gold had passed through the Cheddi Jagan Airport undetected, but was declared on arrival in the US.

He said based on the report received, those declaring the gold had indicated that they were licensed to conduct gold mining operations in Guyana.

The report contained the names of 15 individuals.

“And so, the gold pass through free here, they turn and gazed and watched the other way, as them boys packing it up, and then it lands at John F Kennedy, and they make their declarations, so the Government of America cannot do them anything, because they declare,” MP Ramjattan said.

News Source understands that the report was sent to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the time, and to avoid prosecution, a number of the individuals named in the report, paid up their taxes.  

Back in January 2016, News Source reported that Guyana was losing between 50 to 60 percent of its annual gold production to the illegal trade.

The then Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman disclosed that authorities in Guyana had received information that large quantities of gold was being smuggled to neighbouring Brazil and Suriname and as far as Europe and the Middle East.

At the time he said, there were also reports of smuggled gold from Guyana landing in Miami and at the JFK International Airport in New York.

To address the situation, the Government turned to the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security for help, and had agreed to further intelligence sharing.

Related posts:

Guyana probing reports of smuggling of Venezuelan gold into local market for international sale Gold declarations doubled, as Government clamps down on smuggling 15,000 ounces of gold being smuggled out of Guyana weekly…FBI shares information on suspects Probe continues in to multi million dollar gold smuggling ring; more visas could be revoked