Police search Mohameds former business headquarters, seize cash, documents

Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, 23:19 by Writer

Agents of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on Wednesday searched the Lombard Street, Georgetown building that once housed the Mohameds gold dealership and foreign exchange cambio, prompting Azruddin Mohamed to link that operation to his claim that he had helped to “bankroll” the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

“I think it’s because of the speech in Parliament, this is the outcome but whatever I’m saying is the truth. I have no need to lie about anything,” said Mr Mohamed who, as Leader of the Opposition, told the National Assembly last Friday that he helped to finance the PPP.

Mr Mohamed said police seized just under GY$2 million and several boxes of documents related to gold trading as well as the personal firearm belonging to one of his uncles. He also said another uncle and an employee were taken to a police station by the SOCU agents at the end of the 30-minute search.

Referring to the money that was seized, he said the funds were used to help the less fortunate.

The businessman said after police informed him that they went to search for gold and money, he encouraged them to conduct the operation and that he would record to prevent them from planting any drugs or guns in his premises. “They didn’t find any gold, didn’t find any drugs, they didn’t find any large amount of money. All they found was a couple hundred dollars that we would help beggars on a daily basis,” he said.

Mr Mohamed said that was the first search of the Mohameds premises since the OFAC sanctions.

According to a video of the search posted on his Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, a man was seen reading a document alleging that the Mohameds had in their possession at that building precious minerals, local and foreign currency, electronic documents and financial documents to assist in the investigation of money laundering.

A man was heard telling Mr Mohamed that a dog, at the scene, was trained to locate firearms, narcotics and cash.

The civilian dressed men said they would not be searching the prayer area.

Reacting, Mr Mohamed said: “You sure you don’t want to search the masjid? Irfaan Ali used to come and pray in that same masjid.”

“Sheer political persecution in this country just because I am standing up to the PPP for the people of this country, this is what I am going through,” he said, urging the search party to go and search other places.

He repeatedly said he had nothing in the offices because the government already shut down his businesses.

Mr Mohamed frequently asked that members of the search party be with him to avoid any alleged planting of drugs in his premises.

The agents said they were arresting a man who allegedly said he went there to change money, an allegation that Mr Mohamed denied.

Mr Mohamed, who is also leader of the main opposition We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, encouraged the head of the search team to search his other buildings.

Mr Mohamed said he and his father were not required to surrender any cash or gold to the government after the United States (US) Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions in June 2024 for alleged gold smuggling and related evasion of taxes payable to the Guyana government.

He said he had asked for a special account to be established at the Bank of Guyana to “store whatever little cash we have” after the commercial banks had closed his and his father’s accounts following the OFAC sanctions and forced them to withdraw the monies.

He said they did not have any foreign exchange or gold in their possession at the time of the closure because the last gold shipment had left Guyana three weeks before the sanctions.

The Mohameds are currently battling a US extradition request in a magistrate court.

They are wanted for trial in a Florida federal court for alleged mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.