Members of the Guyana Police Force on Tuesday morning confiscated five licensed personal firearms from Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, at their Houston, East Bank Demerara residence, citing sanctions imposed on the family by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The operation was carried out under the instruction of Divisional Commander of Region 4 “A,” Deputy Police Commissioner Simon McBean. Inspectors L. Blair McGregor and T. Hinds, accompanied by two plainclothes officers, arrived at the property at approximately 10:00 hours. Inspector McGregor read a letter to the Mohameds signed by Deputy Commissioner McBean, instructing the family to surrender all firearms and ammunition in their possession and to show cause in writing why their firearm licences should not be revoked under the Firearms Act.
The seizure followed indictments against the Mohameds in the Southern District of Florida on charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The weapons collected included one 12-gauge shotgun, one 5.56 mm rifle, and one .45 pistol from Azruddin Mohamed, and one .32 handgun and one 12-gauge shotgun from his father. The five firearms bring the total number of weapons surrendered by the family to approximately 75, including those previously held for commercial security purposes.
Azruddin Mohamed, speaking to reporters at the scene, stated that the action was inconsistent with assurances previously given by senior officials, including President Irfaan Ali. He claimed the President had told his father following the imposition of OFAC sanctions that personal firearms would not be targeted, as the sanctions related to matters involving the United States. Mohamed stated that the licences for his personal firearms had been renewed as recently as 10 days prior to the seizure and that his father’s licences were renewed on April 27, 2026.
Mohamed alleged that the seizure was politically motivated and connected to pressure placed on him not to contest political office. He described himself as exposed and fearful for his safety following the removal of the weapons, which he said had provided security for himself, his family, and his businesses. He noted that when police previously collected approximately 70 firearms from his business premises, officers at that time explicitly stated that they had no authority over his personal weapons.
Nazar Mohamed, addressing the media, stated that he had held firearms for over 40 years and placed his trust in his faith rather than in weapons. He questioned the legal basis for the seizure, referencing earlier public statements by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that personal firearms were not subject to action related to the sanctions.
Opposition parliamentarians condemned the move. Member of Parliament Odessa Primus, who was present during the operation, described the action as a threat to the family’s personal safety and criticised its timing, which fell on Arrival Day. Dr. Terrence Campbell of the A Partnership for National Unity stated in a personal post that the Mohameds face no criminal charges in Guyana and have not been convicted in the United States. He described the seizure as a political decision and called for it to be condemned by all Guyanese.
Authorities had not issued a public response to the allegations made by the Mohameds at the time of publication.
SOURCE: Kaieteur News, “Police seize licensed guns from the Mohameds,” May 6, 2026
