Port of Spain man charged with human trafficking, rape denied bail

A 44-year-old Port of Spain man has been denied bail and remanded into police custody charged with human trafficking, rape and being a gang leader.

On Wednesday, Samuel Weekes, of Duke Street, faced a Chaguanas magistrate who adjourned the case to Monday.

The charges stemmed from an ongoing human trafficking investigation, involving 27 Latin American women.

A police release on Thursday said the women were rescued on December 31, 2021 in an operation by police and immigration officers, the members of the Special Investigations Task Force (SITF) of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), under the supervision of ACP Deosaran of the Central Intelligence Bureau.

SIU officers arrested Weekes at the Piarco international airport where he was attempting to board a Copa airlines flight to Panama, destined for Colombia.

SITF and Inter-Agency Task Force officers interviewed Weekes after which they sought advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Roger Gaspard SC.

WPC Richards later charged him.

W/ACP Cooper led investigations which Supt Veronique and ASP Haynes of the Multi-Agency Task Force co-ordinated in collaboration with the director of Counter Trafficking Unit, Alana Wheeler, and legal officer Zaheer Ali.

Acting Cpl Antoine of the Special Investigation Task Force supervised the investigation.

The release said acting Commissioner of Police Mc Donald Jacob has praised the "in-depth investigative work and tireless collaborative effort of the agencies" which led to the arrest and subsequent charges being laid.