Police in Guyana have seized personal firearms and ammunition belonging to businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and his son, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, nearly two years after the pair were sanctioned by the United States over alleged tax evasion tied to gold exports.
In a correspondence issued on Tuesday, Deputy Police Commissioner Simon McBean, Divisional Commander of Region 4 “A,” instructed the Mohameds to surrender their weapons and ammunition and to “show cause, in writing,” why their firearm licences should not be revoked under the country’s Firearms Act. The directive cited “serious allegations” stemming from a US indictment that includes conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The charges were filed in the Southern District of Florida on October 6, 2025. The Mohameds are currently contesting a request for extradition to the United States to face trial.
According to Azruddin Mohamed, he complied with the order by handing over one 12-gauge shotgun, one 5.56 mm (.223) rifle and one .45 pistol, while his father surrendered a .32 handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun. He said their premises were not searched during the process.
The Opposition Leader noted that the directive came shortly after he had renewed his firearm licences on April 27, 2026, and said he had intended to renew additional licences this week.
McBean’s correspondence indicated that the US sanctions arose from an investigation by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), conducted in collaboration with Guyanese law enforcement. The sanctions, imposed in June 2024, allege that the Mohamed business network evaded more than US$50 million in taxes owed to the Guyanese government on the export of over 10,000 kilograms of gold.
Azruddin Mohamed said neither he nor his father had been questioned in relation to any firearm-related incidents. He also reiterated that he previously declined an offer of police security through the Parliament Office, citing concerns about trust, and said he would not reconsider that position despite the seizure of his personal weapons.
Responding to the latest development, Mohamed accused the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of orchestrating a campaign against him, alleging efforts to shut down his bank accounts and pursue criminal allegations, as well as influence the US sanctions and subsequent legal actions.
“They tried everything against me,” he said, describing the moves as politically motivated.
The Mohameds also stated that following the 2024 sanctions, authorities had seized approximately 70 firearms used for security across their homes and business operations.
The Guyana Police Force has not publicly commented beyond the correspondence, and it remains unclear when a decision will be made regarding the status of the Mohameds’ firearm licences.
