Trinidad: Three Venezuelan females rescued from human trafficking networks

Trinidad and Tobago: The police department of Trinidad and Tobago has rescued three Venezuelan females assumed to be the victims of human trafficking. Among the three victims, two are teenagers, who were found by the officers during an operation on Sunday, 01 September.

The three victims have been identified in the police report as a 17-year-old woman, an 18-year-old woman, and a 24-year-old woman. It is disclosed that the three victims, including a minor, hail from Venezuela.

The mission by the police was dedicated to the southern section of Trinidad, which led to the escape of human trafficking victims. It is said that the victims were captured by the traffickers against their will on Friday, 30 August.

The senior authority confirmed that the officers from the Southern Division and the Counter Trafficking Unit led the joint probing operation. The investigation was launched the next day on Monday, 03 September, after the escape of three female victims.

As per the available information on the human trafficking case, the three Venezuelan women were not just kidnapped but also assaulted sexually during their captivity. It also alleged that a sum amount of nearly fifteen thousand dollars was also in demand from the culprits.

The police department of Trinidad have remained reserved regarding the potential case of human trafficking and three Venezuelan women. The details of the matter are not disclosed completely for now as the case is in the early stage of investigation.

The authorities just mentioned that, potentially, the victims were misled by traffickers in Venezuela and were taken to Trinidad with some made-up promises. It is also said that the victims were assured of the repayments for accommodation and trips.

As the investigation is ongoing, the police department has not confirmed the arrest of any culprit related to the unlawful act. Recently, in the month of July, the annual World Day Against Trafficking was observed by the UN General Assembly.

At the event on 30 July this year, the US Secretary of State’s Traffic In Persons report lifted the name of Trinidad and Tobago as a Tier 2 country. The tiers in the reports denote how much that nation meets the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking.

In the last few times, it has been observed that the government of Trinidad and Tobago has taken significant steps to eliminate human trafficking. The report also mentioned the same, as the overall efforts increased as compared to the previous times.