00:00Director of the counter-trafficking unit Alan Miguel tells us that this year the
00:05trafficking unit in persons report from the US State Department of State took
00:10Trinidad and Tobago off its watch list. He says this is an indication that
00:15locally the response to trafficking has improved. However he warns that the
00:20problem still exists and caution must be taken. So we are encouraging persons
00:25because there are spas and bars and all sorts of all sorts of houses of ill-repute
00:31yes houses of ill-repute that really exploit these people some of them
00:35children yes so we employ in the public this is why we know we have any media
00:40blitz so that we can employ the public to report to us. He adds that
00:44oftentimes people are enticed by misleading advertisements on social
00:49media depicting persons who claim to have come to Trinidad and gotten jobs
00:53not realizing it is to their own detriment. And that is the really
00:58impetus to encourage persons and so on to to make the to cross the border to
01:05make the jump but then Marlon I mean if we keep it real yes you jump on a boat
01:11in Venezuela come across the Cedrus and when you land somebody pick you up in
01:18one of them unmarked maxis and next thing you end up in some place that you
01:23don't know and they tell you what $20,000 yet how are you going to pay for
01:27it yeah I just being a little graphic here
01:29the man on a two graphic yes yeah but to show you that this is the reality of
01:32what we face. Meanwhile deputy director of the unit Dane Marie Marshall shares
01:38some statistics. Last year we there was close to 144 reports of trafficking in
01:45persons and when we say reports we speak about situations where individuals
01:52reported instances. We have confirmed about 77 victims of trafficking in the
01:59last period and we have brought several persons before the court in that period
02:05it is no secret that last year we trying to be got his first conviction in
02:11trafficking in persons and we are really moving in a direction of bringing down
02:16the networks as the director indicated. She's urging parents and guardians to be
02:20vigilant and to pay attention to who their children are communicating with on
02:24social media networks. The first trafficking situation in Trinidad and
02:28Tobago was a Trinidad and Tobago national minor so that's why director
02:34was pointed in indicating that you know your children at home parents be more
02:41observant, ask questions, speak to your children in relation to significant
02:48insecurities you know just a situation where a man will communicate via social
02:53media and before you know it your daughter your son is being used as a sex
02:58slave within the limits of Trinidad and Tobago. If you would like to contact the
03:02counter-trafficking unit you can call the number on your screen.
03:06Nicole M Romany, TB6 News
