198 arrests in cross-border illegal gold mining operation in Guyana, other South American countries – INTERPOL

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 January 2026, 21:49 by Writer

Police and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname have joined forces in their first ever transnational operation to combat illegal gold mining, the France-headquartered International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) said on Thursday.

Operation Guyana Shield, held in December 2025, was led by Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname and was supported by EL PACCTO 2.0, a European Union cooperation programme that accompanies Latin American and Caribbean countries in their fight against transnational organised crime, in conjunction with INTERPOL and the High Impact Environmental Crime team of the Dutch police.

The cross-border operation involved over 24,500 checks on vehicles and individuals and led to almost 200 arrests.

These include the detention in Guyana of three men on suspicion of gold smuggling and money laundering.

They were carrying unprocessed gold and US$590,000 in cash and are alleged to be members of a major organized crime group with possible links to a leading Guyanese gold exporting firm.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said: “The surge in international gold prices in recent years has resulted in increased illegal gold mining making it the fastest growing revenue stream for organized crime groups, including in Latin America. At INTERPOL, we are committed to working with our partners to disrupt those networks and prevent more damage to this remote and environmentally fragile region.”

The operation also led to the seizure in Guyana and Suriname of cylinders of mercury with a value of over US$60,000.

Mercury is commonly used in illegal gold mining to separate the gold extracted from other metals and is extremely harmful both to the environment and human health.

The cylinders seized were being transported by bus, concealed in solar panels.

Stepping up police checks along remote borders

Operation Guyana Shield also involved ‘mirror operations’, where officers from Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname worked in tandem, carrying out checks and searches on opposite banks of the rivers Oyapock and Maroni that form the borders between French Guiana and Brazil to the south and Suriname to the west.

These included inspections of some of the many small stores located on the banks of the Maroni River that sell different types of supplies and equipment used in gold mining and, in some cases, are known to be involved in the smuggling of gold and illegal supplies such as mercury.

The inspections marked an important first step in transnational police deployment there and officers seized counterfeit medicines, alcohol and cigarettes with a value of over US$40,000.

The operation also led to the seizure of mining equipment, such as pumps and mats used to trap gold, firearms and communications equipment including mobile phones.

Officers also intercepted a bus carrying undocumented migrants, including several minors suspected of being exploited for child labour or sexual abuse.