In a significant development, Guyanese opposition leader and businessman Azruddin Mohamed, along with his father Nazar Mohamed, have been arrested following an extradition request from the United States. The arrests were carried out by the Guyana Police Force under the directive of a magistrate from the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. The U.S. authorities formally requested the extradition on October 30, 2025, citing the extradition treaty between the U.S. and the U.K., which remains applicable in Guyana under the Fugitives Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04. The charges stem from a federal grand jury indictment released on October 6, 2025, in the Southern District of Florida, accusing the Mohameds of multiple counts of fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and customs violations related to a gold export and tax evasion scheme estimated at $50 million. According to the indictment, the duo allegedly evaded export taxes and royalties on over 10,000 kilograms of gold between 2017 and June 2024 by using falsified customs declarations and reused export seals. In June 2024, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed the Mohameds and their company, Mohamed’s Enterprise, on its sanctions list for tax evasion, gold smuggling, and money laundering. The Guyanese government was notified of the U.S. investigation through diplomatic channels at the time. Mohamed, who leads the opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), has vowed to contest the charges, claiming they are politically motivated to undermine his growing political movement. He has assembled an international legal team comprising lawyers from Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.K. to fight the extradition case. WIN has condemned the arrest as an attack on democratic opposition, expressing confidence in a fair judicial process. The Mohameds are currently detained at the Eve Leary Police Station and will be presented in court under the Fugitives Offenders Act. The Guyanese government has assured that the extradition process will adhere to the Constitution and all applicable laws.
Oppositieleider Guyana Mohamed gearresteerd op verzoek VS; juridische strijd aangekondigd
