– 16 arrested for TIP
Sixteen persons, including 14 foreign nationals, were arrested on Friday evening following a Police raid on two popular business entities along Charlotte Street, Georgetown.
According to information received, members of the Guyana Police Force acting on information that persons were involved in Trafficking In Persons (TIP) visited the night spots and carried out a raid which led to the arrest of 16 persons.
Police in a statement revealed that the detainees are assisting with the investigations.
As Guyana seeks to clamp down on TIP, a popular dredge owner and his alleged accomplice were recently charged for the offence.
Mario Figueira and Joaquin (only name), a Brazilian national, both pleaded not guilty to the nine charges of TIP when they appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on August 29.
The charges alleged that between August 18 and 24, 2016, at Providence, East Bank Demerara, they engaged in TIP, that is to say, they recruited, transported and harboured nine women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. They were released on $120,000 bail each.
Prior to these charges, two teenagers were rescued during a TIP operation in Region One (Barima-Waini). A woman has since been charged for that offence. Additionally, Police ranks swooped down on Rio Inn, in Queenstown, Georgetown where 10 Dominicans were rescued on suspicions that they were being trafficked.
