If you’ve been following Guyanese news for the past year, you’ve seen their names repeatedly: Nazar Mohamed. Azruddin Mohamed. The Mohamed family.
But beyond the headlines about extradition hearings, US sanctions, and courtroom drama, lies a more complex story about business, politics, and power in modern Guyana.
This is that story.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- The Mohamed family built a multi-sector empire over decades before facing US sanctions in 2021
- Their case involves complex legal questions about “dual criminality” in extradition law
- The cybercrime arrest of Stanley Basdeo added free speech and selective prosecution dimensions
- This saga reveals tensions between business, politics, and international relations in Guyana
- Ultimately about what kind of country Guyana wants to be in an interconnected world
THE EMPIRE BUILDING
The Mohamed business empire didn’t emerge overnight. Built over decades, it spans multiple sectors: retail and wholesale operations, real estate holdings across Georgetown, and import/export operations connecting Guyana to global markets.
At its peak, the family’s businesses employed hundreds of Guyanese and generated millions in revenue annually. “They built something real,” acknowledged one business competitor who spoke anonymously.
THE FIRST CRACKS
The first public controversy emerged not in Guyana, but in the United States. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated several entities and individuals linked to what they described as “illicit gold trade networks in Guyana.”
The family vehemently denied the allegations, calling them based on “flawed intelligence” and “political motivation.”
THE POLITICAL DIMENSION
What transformed a sanctions case into Guyana’s biggest political controversy was the family’s alleged connections to government officials. Opposition politicians pointed to government contracts awarded to Mohamed-linked entities and photographs of family members at government events.
The government’s response was adamant: “The Mohameds are private businesspeople. Any contracts they received were through proper procurement processes.”
THE EXTRADITION BATTLE
In 2025, the United States requested the extradition of Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed to face charges in New York. This is where the saga became truly complicated.
Guyana’s extradition law requires “dual criminality”—the alleged offense must be a crime in both countries. The Mohameds’ lawyers argued that the US sanctions violations weren’t crimes under Guyanese law.
The legal battle has been ongoing ever since, with hearings that have become media spectacles.
THE CYBERCRIME COMPLICATION
Then came the cybercrime arrest. In January 2026, businessman Stanley Basdeo was arrested under Guyana’s Cybercrime Act for allegedly making defamatory statements about the Mohamed family online.
The arrest sparked immediate controversy about free speech, selective prosecution, and the boundaries of online commentary.
THE LESSONS
What can we learn from this saga? About business, about law, about power, about media, and about justice. The Mohamed saga isn’t really about one family—it’s about how Guyana handles the intersection of business, politics, international pressure, and free speech in an interconnected era.
The Mohamed family will eventually have their day in court. But the broader questions the saga raises won’t be resolved in any courtroom. Those are questions only Guyanese society can answer, through the choices we make about the kind of country we want to be.