Five Guyanese in Bajan human trafficking case in protective custody – police

(Barbados Nation) THE FIVE GUYANESE GIRLS involved in the first human trafficking case here are in protective custody as the Royal Barbados Police Force continues investigations into a probable ring involving scores of female non-nationals.

And Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also placed its intelligence and resources at the disposal of local police to aid in the investigation.

The five women from the South American country are being kept at an undisclosed location, the ONLINE EDITION has learnt.

The women were allegedly caught in a human trafficking ring a fortnight ago, but are being detained to prevent any possible public interference as investigations continue.

Public relations officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force, Inspector David Welch, yesterday confirmed that the females were in custody, but didn’t provide many details because, he said, three persons had already been charged and remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison at Dodds, but the investigation was still at a very sensitive stage.

“That is the usual practice in a situation like this. We have to protect everyone involved, including victims or alleged perpetrators,” Welch noted.

According to the inspector, a lot more has to be done with respect to the investigations before the five women can be released.

Amelia Joseph, Keenon Chase, and Joan Fernandez, 76, appeared in court last week and were arraigned on several charges of suspected involvement with the trafficking of the five Guyanese women.