Law enforcement authorities here are alarmed over incidents of human trafficking that is occurring on the island and the involvement of local criminal gangs profiting off this major offense.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Wayne Charlery stated that the police are taking a serious look into this matter. He noted that the adult entertainment industry is a contributing factor to this illegal trade and warned patrons about their involvement in this scenario.
As a result, investigations into an alleged act of human trafficking led to the arrest of a business proprietor, who was subsequently released on $100, 000 bail.
While addressing the launch of a Department of Home Affairs human trafficking campaign here, the senior cop spoke of the dangers involved in such a ruse and the advantage that criminals exert to prey on victims and lure them out using the island’s porous borders.
“Saint Lucia, due to its unique geographical positioning between Martinique and South America, has become a transshipment point of choice for human, narcotics and firearm traffickers,” declared Charlery.
He recalled that last December, the Major Crimes Unit executed search warrants at various locations, and in the process discovered four human trafficking victims. The four foreign nationals have since migrated, amid reports that they were forced to perform at an adult entertainment establishment.
On January 16, after apprehending the adult entertainment establishment owner, the suspect was charged with five counts of trafficking in persons. He was subsequently granted bail in the sum of $100,000 with cash or suitable surety or land documents, and was ordered to remain 100 yards away from the victims and their families, and not to leave the state without permission.
In addition, the accused must report to the nearest police station once a week between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and not disclose any information likely to reveal the identity of the victims, failing which he would spend three months in jail.
The matter was adjourned to April 21.
“This simple case is one of many that we may have in Saint Lucia,” noted Charlery, adding that there are many adult entertainment centres locally.
“And most of the persons who are there providing what we call adult entertainment are very well being trafficked,” he added.
The senior cop cautioned persons frequenting these establishments that by simply purchasing a drink at the bar, “you may very well have contributed to human trafficking.”
An even more worrisome and disturbing issue, stated the deputy commissioner, is that there are many criminal gangs in Saint Lucia thriving off trafficking firearms, narcotics, and humans.
Said Charlery: “The challenge is up before us to offset what is happening in Saint Lucia. We must take a hard, long look at human trafficking as used by the gangs to make the money to buy the guns to kill our people.”
Noting that over the past 20 years the crime issue in Saint Lucia has been very volatile leading to an increasing homicide rate, he said the criminal gangs attributed to the wave of violent crimes.
“They have thrived with firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, and of course, human trafficking,” said Charlery.
He noted that the recent gun violence, which erupted in Vieux Fort, glaringly exposed the dangers wrought from these criminal activities.
“So we are endeavouring to do certain things when it comes to the narcotics and the firearms – they’re not people,” he explained.
In 2015, the Government of Saint Lucia collaborated with the International Organization of Migration (IOM) to activate a task force responsible for monitoring incidences of human trafficking and to bring a resolution to this matter.
At the time, the authorities had undertaken measures to secure the safety and health of approximately 76 individuals suspected to be victims of human trafficking.
The government, in collaboration with some NGOs on island, provided accommodation and support for 44 of these individuals.
Years earlier, the Division of Gender Relations in the Ministry of Health, Human Services and Family Affairs had underscored the need for Saint Lucians to be further educated on the scourge of human trafficking.
During that time, the Division of Gender Relations convened workshops in the north and south of the island centred on human trafficking. The workshops addressed the roles that the public and private sectors and members of the society can undertake in order to curb the growth of human trafficking.
As the law enforcement officers move in on curbing this criminal trend, Charlery declared: “The gangs are involved in human trafficking. This is how they make their money. We need to develop and implement a regime that will be able to counter what the gangs are doing on all fronts.”
YOUTHS OF SAINT LUCIA TO ARMS SAINT LUCIA ON FIRE:
Well if that does not beat all, human trafficking!, oh sorry Saint Lucia what have you become?, my thoughts on the situation remain positive to what I have said before, it’s the migration of people to your shores, and the welcome invitation to nest, by offering them citizenship, most of them are rejects from a battered country, or criminals fleeing from an impoverished country.
Saint Lucia, you are too small to compete with the five major continents, and for sure sons and daughters born on the Island retain the thinking instill in them by their parents and guardian, it is up to the new generation to step up and show what their parents have taught them.
The older generation was brainwashed to thinking that they have to migrate somewhere else, to have a degree equivalent to that of the western world, so some relax in their poverty, while others endeavor to send their little ones to different foreign countries, thinking to educate them on the finer things. While this is all good and well, the outcome is that you are accepting foreign nationals to lead your homegrown industry, to lead in all areas of your businesses, making your people second-class citizens.
They then criminals have capitalized on the frail people’s mentality and their generous big hearts, which contributes to all kinds of woe in once happy Saint Lucia, my people it is almost closing time, skip the last dance forgo the last drink, you are at peril if you continue to rest easy and not fighting back, I see there are still talkers who see the misfortune of the Island, but remember talk is cheap if you don’t carry a big stick and use it too.
Youths of Saint Lucia, some of your parental guardians were illiterate but they found it necessary to make a way to provide you with the best education which they did not have, the majority of the older generation is still illiterate but not dumb, why do you think they suffer to educate you, yes its to someday make your mark in the community, I ask you how are you making your mark?, what have you done with the chance offered to you by your educators, frankly I see nothing, you have done nothing to improve the lives of your now enslave parental guardian.
How can you stand idle by and allowed such destruction to your home Island, you should be the leader of tomorrow that was their goal for the sacrifice they made in sending you to get the best education be it at the local entry-level or overseas, yeah I don’t hear you, are you all death and blind youths, you this generation should now have rule the island, all I see is a bunch of old sick men with outdated methods and wasted energy making deals to prosper themselves.
If you can hear me you have the power in youth, you have the power in understanding how technology works, you have the power to make a difference, put your minds together and make a difference, once country boys and city boys were looking down at each other, I tell you my youths this is not the case anymore, quit matching genitals sizes with each other, your Island home is on fire and needs a combined you.
This news is incorrect ok. In due respect am one of the victims of the five. In details it was five of us one of the girls that ran away went and filed a report and they came by the house and searched up all our belongings and confiscate our phones, all receipts that we shopped and all . She was not comfortable and she went to immigration and file the report on the accussed . They just parole the house outside with guns we were scared god knows after they showed us the warrant but it was served to one of the other victim in the house we were all lost. I comment because I saw a speech made that we were forced to dance and this is incorrect he did not. We all came with the intention to dance he never beat us he never raped us neither does he asked us for cash nothing at all he buy us food we weren’t hungry none time. He’s a good man to us he take us out of a situation that we were in back home checked. I hate liars big time we go the bar when we feel liked he was overly protected of us. Came through the airport n they saw my stuffs n they asked us to speak the truth and I tell them I coming to danced so I’ll be Frank, we were never forced to do nothing illegal in st Lucia by the accusee we all have our own free will. Thank you. We were pressured with immigration and police. It takes me two weeks to get back my passport and my cellphones all of us. But it’s god and time. We all left the island we were in a state of depression.
This news is incorrect ok. In due respect am one of the victims of the five. In details it was five of us one of the girls that ran away went and filed a report and they came by the house and searched up all our belongings and confiscate our phones, all receipts that we shopped and all . She was not comfortable and she went to immigration and file the report on the accussed . They just parole the house outside with guns we were scared god knows after they showed us the warrant but it was served to one of the other victim in the house we were all lost. I comment because I saw a speech made that we were forced to dance and this is incorrect he did not. We all came with the intention to dance he never beat us he never raped us neither does he asked us for cash nothing at all he buy us food we weren’t hungry none time. He’s a good man to us he take us out of a situation that we were in back home checked. I hate liars big time we go the bar when we feel liked he was overly protected of us. Came through the airport n they saw my stuffs n they asked us to speak the truth and I tell them I coming to danced so I’ll be Frank, we were never forced to do nothing illegal in st Lucia by the accused we all have our own free will. Thank you. We were pressured with immigration and police. It takes me two weeks to get back my passport and my cellphones all of us. But it’s god and time. We all left the island we were in a state of depression.
This news is incorrect ok. In due respect am one of the victims of the five. In details it was five of us one of the girls that ran away went and filed a report and they came by the house and searched up all our belongings and confiscate our phones, all receipts that we shopped and all . She was not comfortable and she went to immigration and file the report on the accused . They just parole the house outside with guns we were scared god knows after they showed us the warrant but it was served to one of the other victim in the house we were all lost. I comment because I saw a speech made that we were forced to dance and this is incorrect he did not. We all came with the intention to dance he never beat us he never raped us neither does he asked us for cash nothing at all he buy us food we weren’t hungry none time. He’s a good man to us he take us out of a situation that we were in back home checked. I hate liars big time we go the bar when we feel liked he was overly protected of us. Came through the airport n they saw my stuffs n they asked us to speak the truth and I tell them I coming to danced so I’ll be Frank, we were never forced to do nothing illegal in st Lucia by the accused we all have our own free will. Thank you. We were pressured with immigration and police. It takes me two weeks to get back my passport and my cellphones all of us. But it’s god and time. We all left the island we were in a state of depression.