Tensions recently intensified in Guyana after members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) confiscated five licensed personal firearms belonging to Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, businessman Nazar Mohamed, during an early-morning operation at their Houston, East Bank Demerara residence.
According to reports, Inspectors L. Blair McGregor and T. Hinds, accompanied by two plainclothes officers, arrived at the property shortly after 10:00 a.m. acting under instructions from Region 4 “A” Divisional Commander and Deputy Police Commissioner Simon McBean. Authorities cited sanctions imposed on the Mohamed family by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as the basis for the seizure.
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The operation resulted in the surrender of five personal firearms. Azruddin Mohamed handed over a 12-gauge shotgun, a 5.56 mm rifle, and a .45 pistol, while Nazar Mohamed surrendered a .32 handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun. The family indicated that approximately 75 firearms in total have now been surrendered, including weapons previously tied to their private security operations.
During the operation, Inspector McGregor reportedly read a formal notice signed by Deputy Commissioner McBean, informing the Mohameds that they must show cause why their firearm licences should not be revoked under the Firearms Act due to allegations outlined in a U.S. indictment involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.
Speaking to the media outside the residence, Azruddin Mohamed criticized the action, arguing that it contradicted previous assurances allegedly given by government officials regarding their personal firearms.
“The sanctions are related to the United States. We are Guyanese citizens, and it is my democratic right to protect myself, my family, and my businesses,” he stated, adding that the same firearms had previously been used to provide protection for government officials and other high-profile individuals.
Mohamed further alleged that the seizure was politically motivated, claiming he had come under pressure after refusing to publicly withdraw from political ambitions. He noted that his firearm licences had recently been renewed and questioned why authorities had initially distinguished between firearms connected to the family’s security business and those personally owned.
Nazar Mohamed, addressing reporters, said he had legally owned firearms for more than four decades and maintained that his faith, rather than weapons, was his true protection.
“I put my trust in Allah. Guns do not protect people , if they did, leaders like John F. Kennedy would never have been assassinated,” he remarked.
Family members and political allies also condemned the operation. Odessa Primus argued that the seizure jeopardized the family’s safety and accused the government of violating citizens’ rights, while APNU parliamentary representative Terrence Campbell described the move as “political persecution” and criticized what he called the weaponization of state institutions against political opponents.
Campbell pointed out that the Mohameds were sanctioned by OFAC in June 2024 and questioned why authorities waited nearly two years before moving to confiscate their personal firearms if the action was genuinely necessary.
The Guyana Police Force has not yet publicly responded to the allegations of political interference or selective enforcement.
