Suriname farmer arrested for trafficking Guyanese men

The Surinamese farmer who allegedly trafficked five Guyanese men to labour at a camp in Suriname without pay has been arrested.

This is according to a report in Surinamese newspaper De Ware Tijd.

The report quotes Police Public Relations Officer Humphrey Naarden as saying that the farmer, identified only as “Dipak J,” had been arrested for employing illegal aliens on his land at Nickerie.

The report says he faces charges of human trafficking and illegal possession of firearms at his land in Nickerie and is in custody at the Nieuwe Haven lock-ups.

After the men had managed to get away from the farm, they filed a report with the police at Nickerie. The case was then handed over to the Trafficking in Persons Department and Dipak J was eventually caught. The case is now being handled by the Nieuwe Haven Criminal Investigations Department.

Meanwhile, Naarden called on all aliens, whether they are legal or illegal, to report to the police if they have been the victims of human trafficking. He assured them that they will not get into trouble with the authorities, whom he said treat victims of human trafficking differently. He added that they should speak out freely even if their captors are police officers who help the criminals, while possible victims have been advised to contact their local embassy.

Naarden also admitted that the modern slaves are not only foreigners but also locals. He referred to cases where young girls have been lured to the goldfields for work in shops, but eventually they end up selling a lot more than commodities.

The five Amerindian men, who were deported from Suriname on Monday, were at the camp in Nickerie for varying periods, including over two years and two months in the case of one middle-aged man.

They said other Guyanese were being held as well and at least one young Brazilian boy.

It was unclear how many men were at the farm since the five men told Stabroek News that they travelled to Suriname with other individuals who were not seen at the location. According to them, there is a possibility that there were other trafficked victims.

AFC parliamentarian Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who first interviewed the men after they were deported, told Stabroek News yesterday that she was pleased with the Surinamese efforts to arrest the suspect. However, she noted that the issue of payment for the men is still to be addressed and if the suspect is found guilty, arrangements should be made so that the men receive their payments

She also said that public awareness should be stepped up since the alleged trafficker seemed to have been targeting hinterland areas, where people do not have much knowledge about certain aspects of travelling, documentation and legal procedures. Four of the men were from Region One.

Programme Adminis-trator of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) Jean La Rose also said yesterday that she was happy at the efforts of the Surinamese police to at least capture a suspect. Like Garrido-Lowe, she also emphasised the importance of public awareness as she reflected on Guyana’s internal human trafficking situation and mentioned that more work needs to be done.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said last week that the report received from the five men has been provided to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the relevant law enforcement authorities of both countries were in contact under the mechanism which exists between the two countries.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to advise the public to be wary of too lucrative to be true job offers outside of Guyana and where promises of securing the necessary travel documents and work permits are made. Given a previous experience of similar nature which was reported to the MOFA, even greater vigilance is advised for the interior communities,” it said in a statement.

The police force has since announced that it is also investigating the case and it too has warned persons to be cautious when considering overseas job offers.