4 arrested for alleged trafficking of 3 underage girls

Police in Regional Division #9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) have arrested four persons who are suspected of trafficking three underage girls.
According to the Home Affairs Ministry in a social media post, police officers at the Kurupukari Police checkpoint intercepted the suspects in two trucks on Sunday evening.
Those arrested include two drivers and two porters.
The two trucks were also detained as the investigation into this suspected trafficking in persons matter continues.
Only earlier this year, a Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara (WBD) man, Asif Mohamed Abrahim, was convicted of trafficking a 15-year-old female between September 2023 to January 2024.
Back in February, the case was heard before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrates’ Court, where Abrahim was found guilty. He was sentenced to four years for the trafficking charge.
In a statement on the matter, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry had revealed that the victim, who was 15 at the time of the offence, was rescued by its Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Unit on January 18, 2024 after acting on credible information received.
Based on reports, some 416 individuals were victims of human trafficking in 2024 from 34 cases that were reported. Authorities have provided shelter for some 381 victims.
Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Minister, through its Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons, continues to work with stakeholder bodies to tackle this scourge.
Only in February, two training seminars on Human Trafficking, the Smuggling of Migrants, and Child Labour were held. The sessions were attended by 48 police recruits enrolled in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Training Academy’s General Recruits Training Course (Batch 388 and 389).
This initiative was designed to equip recruits with the necessary knowledge and skills to detect, identify, investigate, and prosecute these heinous crimes and related offences.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said it remain committed to combatting human trafficking by investing in training and capacity-building initiatives, contributing to a future where all individuals are free from exploitation and abuse.
The Ministry urges the public to stay vigilant and support national anti-trafficking efforts. Any suspected cases of human trafficking should be reported immediately to the national hotline at 227-4083, 623-5030, or 624-0079 (Spanish), or to the nearest police station.