Police yesterday arrested a 30-year-old Tunapuna businessman they believe can assist them in their investigation into what they have described as a human trafficking ring.
The man was arrested around 2 pm, police said, after police had raided a brothel in Tacarigua on Wednesday and found four women, two of whom claimed to have been held there against their will.
During a media briefing at the Arima Police Station, yesterday, Supt Hendron Moses called on young people, women in particular, to be wary of advertisements placed in the media about job opportunities, since police believed this was one of the major ploys used to lure women by human traffickers.
“Now I must say, and I want the general public to know, that when advertisements are placed in our print media, our young people must be wary of accepting these invitations, because from information and evidence gathered, these people are operating a clandestine operation whereby they are luring our women via job seeking. And it is from here they are held eventually against their will and being transported from various locations. All to evade capture,” Moses said.
Officers of the Counter Trafficking Unit are assisting the officers of the Northern Division in their investigations.
According to reports, around 9.30 pm on Wednesday, officers from the Arouca CID, led by Senior Supt David Abraham and Supt Moses, raided a brothel along the Eastern Main Road, Tacarigua, near Jubilee Street, after they received several reports from neighbours of screams coming from the house. Police found two Venezuelans, a Guyanese and a Trinidadian woman, ages 28, 26, 24 and 21, inside.
Investigators said the Venezuelans could not speak English but the Guyanese and Trinidadian women told the police they were being held captive by a group of men. The women appeared to be healthy but were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, and medically examined.
While investigators initially believed all four women might have been victims of human trafficking, the Guyanese and Trinidadian became suspects after a Spanish translator was brought in to interview the Venezuelan women yesterday.
The Venezuelan women reportedly told police they entered Trinidad illegally several months ago and were taken to the Tacarigua location, which was sometimes used for illegal gambling and prostitution. They both claimed that the two other women supervised the operation and would ensure that the house was clean, that they were fed and that they did not try to escape.
During the media briefing, Moses thanked the hard-working officers responsible for the breakthrough and the residents who alerted the police after hearing screams.
He said his colleagues throughout the Northern Division would soon be forming several community-oriented groups within each station district, where the officers would form a one-on-one relationship with citizens. This initiative was aimed at developing camaraderie, confidence and information sharing in order to advance the fight against crime and decrease the fear of crime.