Cop, V'zuelan denied bail for human trafficking

A police officer attached to Central Division Police and a Venezuelan appeared in the Chaguanas Magistrate Court on Friday charged with human trafficking. The two appeared before senior magistrate Rajendra Rambachan. The two were not jointly charged. They were denied bail pending further investigations and are now in police custody.

Central police said that the officer would re-appear in court on Monday.

Attorney Aaron Levi Daniel Smith, who represented the Venezuelan, said his client would remain in police custody for two weeks.

“The police has already made an application for tracing of my client through Interpol's database and this will be done within two weeks.”

The Venezuelan is scheduled to return to court on February 27.

According to a police report, the Western Division and the Defence Force carried out an early-morning exercise at Big Yard, Carenage, on Monday which led to the discovery of Venezuelan migrants.

Among them were ten men, six women, a 15-year-old boy and a two-month-old girl. The police officer and Venezuelan were arrested and taken to the Four Roads police station where they were interviewed by members of the Counter Trafficking Unit.

The migrants were handed over to the Immigration Division.