Woman arrested with US$44,000 released on bail

The 36-year-old South Ruimveldt, Georgetown woman who was taken into the custody of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for failing to declare more than US,000 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) has been placed on self-bail.

According to Police Public Relations Officer Jairam Ramlakhan, the woman was released on her own recognizance and will have to return to the SOCU office on Monday.

Based on reports received, the woman arrived on a St Lucian flight at Guyana’s main port of entry with some US$44,688 in her possession. It is not clear how the woman passed security checkpoints in St Lucia with that amount of money.

Guyana Times understands that upon arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, she was asked if she had anything to declare and she responded in the negative. However, customs officials discovered the foreign currency stashed in two parcels in her hand luggage during a routine check on her luggage.

She was immediately pulled aside and questioned, and SOCU was quickly involved. The law stipulates that once any passenger is carrying in excess of US$10,000, the money must be declared to the relevant authorities for clearance.

In January 2016, jewellery belonging to a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara gold smith and valued at more than G$10 million was confiscated by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The man, Richard Ramjit, was accused by security officers of smuggling gold, but he had denied the allegation. At the time, he was then told that the jewellery was seized because it was valued at approximately $4 million, which is in excess of US$10,000 – the threshold at which seizures can be made under amended anti-money laundering laws if there is no declaration to customs.

The CANU ranks worked in accordance with the mandate of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) which was set up to detect crimes related to money laundering and terrorism. Ramjit has since sued the state for $10 million on the contention that his fundamental rights and freedoms were breached.