13 Venezuelans fined for illegal entry in Trinidad and Tobago

Thirteen Venezuelan nationals were fined for illegally entering Trinidad and Tobago. They have been charged by a magistrate after being arrested by the officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Immigration Investigations Unit.

It is to be noted that out of fifteen, police arrested 13 foreign nationals, but 2 managed to get away from the arrest. According to police, from all 13 arrested, 5 were recognized as females and 10 were males.

They were apprehended between 8:30 am and 2 pm on Monday during the exercises conducted by the officers of the Immigration Investigations Unit, in the areas of North and South.

Notably, the intelligence-led operation was coordinated by Supt Pariman, ASP Ramdass, Inspector Philip and Sgt Daulat. They conducted a search at multiple locations in the Southern and Western Divisions.

The suspects appeared virtually before Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh, where they were stated guilty to the charges.

It is to be added in the police’s remarks that all five females were fined $5,000 each or, in default, face nine months’ simple imprisonment.

The other ten males were fined $5,000 each or charged with nine months of hard labour. They are all given 30 days to pay the fines.

However, two of the males were remanded into custody for the pending investigations.

As per the Trinidad and Tobago Police Services, the exercise was part of an ongoing initiative of the TTPS Immigration Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Notably, last year, a man identified as Codel Douglas has been remanded by police after pleading guilty to two charges.

He has been counted for Drug Trafficking and the other for entering the state of T&T without the permission of an Immigration Officer.

He is currently serving his sentence.

Moreover, the officers of the Four Roads CID and Canine Branch executed an exercise in the Petit Valley district between 4 pm and 8 pm on December 12, 2023.

During the search, officials arrested one male suspect and a quantity of marijuana. The drugs were discovered hidden in a silver Nissan B-14 motor vehicle weighed around 1.1 kilogrammes.  

Investigations are ongoing into the above matter.