Diplomatic note, arrest warrants for Mohameds presented in court

Azzrudin Mohamed leaves the court after the matter was adjourned

Extradition proceedings against prominent gold dealers, Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, continued on Monday before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, as prosecutors presented key evidence supporting the United States’ request for their extradition.

During the session, the prosecution submitted several official documents, including a diplomatic note, a certified statement from the U.S. Secretary of State, and warrants of arrest for both men. These materials were tendered to confirm the validity of the extradition request and demonstrate that it adheres to the requirements of the extradition treaty between Guyana and the United States.

Copies of the documents were provided to the defence team for examination as the court moves toward determining whether a prima facie case exists to proceed with extradition. Both Nazar and Azruddin, principals of Mohamed’s Enterprise, remain free on $150,000 bail each. The case was adjourned until November 24, 2025 for a further report.

The extradition request stems from an October 30, 2025 communication from the U.S. government, invoking the treaty between Guyana and the United Kingdom, which remains applicable under Guyanese law through the Fugitive Offenders Act, Cap. 10:04, as amended in 2024.

According to a statement from the Attorney General’s Chambers, the arrest warrants were issued after attorneys King’s Counsel Terrence Williams, Herbert McKenzie, and Celine Deidrick, acting on behalf of the Guyanese government, presented an Authority to Proceed and an application for arrest as mandated by law.

The U.S. request follows an indictment unsealed on October 6, 2025 by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida. The document charges the Mohameds with multiple offences, including wire and mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and customs violations related to an alleged US$50 million gold export and tax evasion scheme.

The indictment accuses the men of conspiring between 2017 and June 2024 to defraud the Guyanese government by evading taxes and royalties on more than 10,000 kilogrammes of gold through falsified customs declarations and re-used export seals. It also references a US$5.3 million undeclared gold shipment seized at Miami International Airport and an under-invoiced luxury vehicle valued at over US$680,000.

U.S. authorities reportedly began probing the Mohameds in the mid-2010s, with intelligence cooperation between both countries intensifying from 2016 onwards. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the businessmen and Mohamed’s Enterprise in June 2024 for alleged gold smuggling, tax evasion, and trade-based money laundering.

The Attorney General’s Chambers confirmed that the U.S. formally notified the Guyanese government of its investigation through diplomatic channels following the sanctions. Agencies involved include the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Earlier this year, in March 2025, the Guyanese government received a detailed dossier from U.S. authorities containing evidence of falsified declarations, gold export irregularities, and seized shipments.

Officials have emphasised that the extradition process will be conducted strictly in accordance with the Fugitive Offenders Act and Guyana’s constitutional and legal safeguards.