PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Oct 19 2015 – Twenty two women from the Dominican Republic, believed to be victims of a human trafficking ring, were arrested when police from the Human Trafficking Unit swooped into a club in the town of Penal on Saturday.
They also arrested a Syrian-born man and three male Trinidadians, believed to be the middle-men in the trafficking operation.
The police report that between 12:00am and 6:00am on Saturday, they went to a club in Penal and on searching rooms, found the women in various stages of undress, while two were found tied up in bed.
It is believed that the women were brought into the country illegally and were being used as prostitutes.
The Immigration Department was contacted to determine whether the women had entered the country illegally.
The twin island republic has been named as a pivotal point in the human trafficking ring which exists in the Caribbean.
The police have cautioned young women to be wary of advertisements placed in the media about job opportunities.
Women from several Caribbean islands including Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Haiti have admitted to being lured into the country through newspaper advertisements.
Source Caribbean News Service
