Counter Trafficking Unit expects more convictions of human traffickers

News

WHILE 102 individuals have been identified as victims of human trafficking in Trinidad and Tobago, one person has been convicted on this heinous criminal activity, learnt a forum to mark Human Rights Day held on December 10 at the Brix Hotel, Cascadia.

It was hosted by the UNHCR and the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) of the Ministry of National Security.

CTU head Allan Meiguel said he expected to see an increase in the number of individuals getting convicted for human-trafficking, replying to Newsday in the question-and-answer session.

Newsday cited the CTU’s 2022 Annual Report on Trafficking in Persons in TT recently laid in the House of Representatives which said in the decade 2013-2022, some 102 trafficking victims were identified of whom 92 people were subject to sexual exploitation including prostitution and ten people to forced labour. Of these victims, 30 were minors, namely six victims were aged 0-14 and 24 aged 15-17. Eighty per cent were from Venezuela, six per cent Guyana, five per cent Colombia and three per cent India, among other places.

The report indicated 63 people charged for human trafficking, but with zero convictions up to 2022, although a TT male was later convicted.

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Calculations from figures in the 2022 report suggested 42 cases were then at the preliminary inquiry stage, nine people were committed to stand trial at the High Court, seven matters were dismissed, two accused were killed, one person pleaded guilty to immigration offences, and in 2022 one was committed to stand trial and one matter was discharged.

Newsday asked how well TT was doing in countering trafficking.

Meiguel said between the passing of the Trafficking in Persons Act 211 and implementation of the CTU in 2013, the unit had been building its capacity. “In building that capacity, we started to see the networks, we started to make the arrests, we started to develop and so on.

“It so happened that one of the reasons why we were stuck at the Tier Two Watchlist was because we had no convictions. And do you know who was responsible for the first conviction in TT? Our dear deputy (referring to CTU deputy director Dane-Marie Marshall).

“What was required was a reconfiguration of the various institutions to ensure the response rate was stronger.”

For example, he said the Judiciary recently introduced the provisions of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act 2011 to eliminate preliminary inquiries and so speed up trials.

“At the DPP’s (Director of Public Prosecutions’) Office, he has set aside dedicated prosecutors to assist the Counter Trafficking Unit.

“The judges and magistrates and so on have been sensitised to the intricacies of trafficking in persons.

“Now I am seeing an up-tick in terms of interdiction for those who perpetrate trafficking in persons. Of the matters before the court we are excited because we have trials taking place and we expect to see results soon. So it is a work in progress and from what I have seen of the numbers, it has excited me to the point where I am encouraging us to even go further and further and further. So we are at that point now where we are actually seeing some material improvements.”

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He said TT’s response to trafficking had begun slowly but had started to take flight.

“I expect to see much more prosecution and much more conviction for those persons who practise this dark art of trafficking in humans.”

Marshall, talking to reporters afterwards, said, “We are now in the process of laying the 2023 report.”

She said that would include TT’s first conviction, obtained in November 2023. “There is an active trial taking place at this time. We are hoping we will have two (convictions) at the end of 2024.” Marshall said in TT more people were charged for human trafficking in 2024 than last year.

Newsday asked how the CTU identified trafficking victims. Meiguel said, “We try to maintain as wide a catchment as possible, in terms of accepting reports of suspicions of trafficking in persons.”

He said the CTU got complaints made online, lodged by a victim’s relatives in their home country, or from people seeing something suspicious and then phoning it in on the CTU hotline. The hotline is 800-4CTU (800-4288). “The catchment is wide and we are trying to widen it.”

Newsday asked if CTU investigators visited suspicious places at anti-social hours to probe trafficking.

Meiguel replied, “We have methodology in terms of dealing with this, because a lot of this takes place in the dark – in the bars and the spas and so on – and our response must contemplate some of what you are speaking about, in terms of having persons or informants in those (places).”

Report: Corrupt officials still involved in human trafficking

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The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report from the US State Department said TT had been upgraded to Tier Two status (from Tier Two Watchlist) for the Government’s “overall increasing efforts” relative to before. These efforts including more investigations and prosecutions, new laws to remove the preliminary inquiry process, more judicial and police staff, construction of victim shelters, and issuance of minister’s permits to victims.

The report lauded, “Courts convicted a trafficker for the first time and sentenced him to a significant prison term.”

However it lamented, “Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes by some in the police and national security services, including at more senior levels, remained significant concerns, inhibiting law-enforcement action.

“Efforts to address alleged official complicity including trafficking of potential and actual victims at the immigration detention centres remained inadequate and resulted in re-trafficking.”

The report said the CTU investigated 77 new sex trafficking cases in 2023, compared to 22 new cases in 2022, and 23 in 2021.

“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns, inhibiting law-enforcement action and some victims’ willingness to participate in trials.

“The Police Complaints Authority opened an investigation into police officers who sought sexual services from the victim witness in the case that resulted in a conviction.”

“Authorities continued an investigation of two dozen police officers allegedly involved in trafficking begun in 2021 and cleared some of the officers involved. The government reported none of these police investigations moved to prosecution.

“However, the government reported police officers from previous reporting periods were put on administrative leave, some with reduced pay, while the investigations against them were ongoing.”

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