Five in custody after 26 Haitians ‘discovered’ in suspected smuggling ring

TWENTY-six Haitian nationals are in protective care after police, during multiple operations, discovered them in a suspected smuggling racket at a city hotel and a minibus on the Linden-Mabura Road.

The Home Affairs Ministry on Friday confirmed that the victims in the suspected human smuggling, and trafficking in persons rackets were discovered on November 7 and 8, 2020, during two search-and-cordon operations in Georgetown and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
In protective care are 10 men, nine women, and seven children (two boys and five girls).

An investigation has since been launched by the Guyana Police Force, and five persons are in custody assisting with investigations.
The others are currently in protective care, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Haitians no longer need a visa to travel to Guyana, and are afforded the same treatment and welcome that other CARICOM nationals have enjoyed.
Despite being the poorest country per capita in the Western Hemisphere, according to the World Bank, Haiti’s political, security and economic crisis has helped line the pockets of criminal gangs.

One source said that the hypothesis is that “once they get to Guyana, it is easy to enter Suriname illegally”.
From Suriname, a taxi will take them to Albina, on the Surinamese border with neighbouring French Guiana (Guyane Française in French), where they will meet a boatman who will take them across the Marowijne River to the European Union (EU) territory, where some may have relatives. Alternatively, some will continue their journey to other parts of South America, including Chile.

“When Suriname granted Haitians visa-free access to the country, the same thing happened. They arrived in large numbers, but most left Suriname. Due to pressure from France and the European Union, Suriname abruptly closed its Port-a-Prince consulate, and its Ministry of Justice announced that Haitians needed a visa to enter Suriname,” one source noted.
Several incidents reported by the media of Suriname last year referenced a surge of Haitians entering Suriname illegally from Guyana.
Meanwhile, in a separate cordon-and-search exercise, Venezuelan, Dominican and Cuban Nationals were found at the Baroombar International, in Queenstown, Georgetown.
Reports indicate that 24 female foreign nationals were discovered during the operation and questioned, among them eight Dominican nationals, one Cuban and 15 Venezuelans.
An investigation was launched into the alleged Trafficking in Person ring. As a result, investigation proved that the females from the Dominican Republic and Cuba had all overstayed their time in Guyana.

The females were interviewed and later sent away on cash bail, to return to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Three additional suspects were detained by the police for questioning, namely a bartender, security guard and a dispatcher.
They were also interviewed and later sent away on cash bail, to return to the CID as investigations continue.