Hinds: Suspicious establishments being monitored – Loop Trinidad & Tobago News

Minister of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds has assured that incidents of human trafficking in this country are reported and treated as “very serious crimes” and recorded as such by law enforcement agencies.

The Minister shared his remarks on Saturday when several ministries and groups came together on the Brian Lara promenade to observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2022.

As he sought to raise awareness on human trafficking in all of its forms, Hinds noted that the matter should be one to raise concerns in every community, “as it not only endangers public health, but it also fuels tremendous violence in our communities.”

Noting that his ministry has facilitated several exercises, including anti-trafficking training to curb the crime, Hinds said judges and magistrates too have been trained and sensitised about the problems.

He added, “We have heightened collaboration between the TTPS' Special Operations Response Team and intelligence body to monitor suspicious establishments…because there is a direct link between drugs and this business of human trafficking.”

Hinds said it was obvious that there “was a lot more work to do” however this country's rating for reports of trafficking was much better than last year.

Saturday's function was a collaboration of the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, the Counter-Trafficking Unit, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Ministry of Labour, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons Working Group.