Illegal Chinese immigrants held

The men have been in the country for the past four months.

The raid yesterday was conducted by Port of Spain police and officers from the Immigration Department. At 10 am, the officers descended on a partially construced building on Charlotte Street where they found the men on the top floor of the structure.

None of the men spoke English and were made to kneel while police guarded them as they awaited the arrival of an Immigration Centre bus to take the eight to the Immigation Detention Centre in East Trinidad. The exercise was spearheaded by Senior Superintendent Glenn Charles who said police received certain information that foreigners were working in slave-like conditions.

The men worked and lived in rooms with no ventilation and no washroom facilities. Construction buckets were seen containing water in which mosquito larvae wriggled. This was the water the men used to drink and cook food. One countertop ringshaped gas burner was what the immigrants used to cook food.

Scaffolding was used to hang clothes to dry.

Charles said that the exercise formed part of a wider push by the Police Service to tackle crime in the city. He called on businessowners in downtown PoS to partner with the police and refrain from hiring illegal immigrants, all of whom have no documentation.

“We want to send a strong message to store owners to stop employing these illegal immigrants, because they will be prosecuted for aiding and abetting in the commission of an offence. Employ people who have the necessary legal documents and stop employing those who don’t have.

Charles said he was astonished on seeing the conditions the Chinese nationals were living in.

“I was amazed to see the conditions in which these illegal immigrants survived and worked in,” Charles said.

The Superintendent also revealed that in addition to the eight labourers held, an additional 12 illegal Chinese nationals were held during similar raids earlier that morning from various businessplaces along Charlotte street.

A Cuban, a Venezuelan and four Guyanese nationals were also held in the exercise yesterday.

Snr Supt Charles said investigations will continue to locate the owner of the building in which the eight immigrants were found, as that person could be liable and face charges.