More Indian nationals caught being trafficked through Belize

A third group of illegal Indian nationals has been captured in the west as cases of human trafficking continue to increase. The seven nationals are part of a larger group that has been coming illegally across the western border in the past two weeks. On Monday, the group was intercepted in Esperanza and police moved in quickly to detain the handler and an immigration officer is under question.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Belize’s border with Guatemala, often described as porous, remains under constant threat of unwanted arrivals.  While immigrants from neighboring Central American countries have long been entering and settling illegally, the same access point is now being used by a human trafficking ring intent on passing an unknown number of Indian nationals en route to the United States.  On Monday, a third group of men was intercepted while traversing the George Price Highway.

Insp. Reymundo Reyes Jr., Deputy Officer Commanding San Ignacio Police

“Yesterday sometime after four [p.m.], as a result of information received, San Ignacio Police, along with people from the Anti-Drugs Unit, intercepted a blue Chevy Tracker vehicle heading towards the direction of Belmopan in the outskirts of Esperanza.  Upon making checks it was found out that seven male persons of Indian descent were onboard the vehicle.”

Of the seven, all bearing the last name Singh, one is a minor.  They were discovered in the company of thirty-four year old Ever Corado, a resident of Arenal Village.  Corado has confessed to police that he was contracted as the group’s handler during the short trip to Belmopan.  He has been charged with aiding and abetting their illegal movement.

Insp. Reymundo Reyes Jr.

“They did have passports with them but apparently they came in through the Western Border.  They have a stamp but at this present moment we are verifying whether it is a genuine stamp that was placed on the passport.”

Reymundo Reyes Jr.

That stamp, we are told, is the subject of an internal investigation at the Immigration and Nationality Department since the seal can only be issued with approval from the Director of Immigration.  This afternoon a immigration officer was brought in for questioning.

Isani Cayetano

“Do you believe that in this particular instance there may have been collusion with some member of the Immigration and Nationality Department?”

Insp. Reymundo Reyes Jr.

“At this present moment that is being investigated.  People will be brought into this station for questioning.  At the end of the day maybe we could reveal what the investigation will reveal.”

Isani Cayetano

“I also understand that this group of seven was initially taken to Belmopan, where they were held in detention but they’re making their way back into this particular jurisdiction for charges.  Can you speak to us a bit more on that?”

Insp. Reymundo Reyes Jr.

“After they were detained we were asked to escort all persons, including the driver, to Belmopan for them to be interviewed by the officer who deals with human smuggling cases and today we were given the go ahead to escort them back to San Ignacio which is the jurisdiction where they were found and they would be charged for immigration offences.”

They are twenty-two year old Gurleen Singh, twenty-six year old Hardeep Singh, eighteen year old Baljit Singh, twenty-three year old Jaswant Singh and nineteen year old Sukhjit Singh.

Insp. Reymundo Reyes Jr.

“We do have information about more persons being across the border and we know that these persons will be trying to make their way, one way or the other, into the country and that is the reason why we have frequent checkpoints within the highway at this moment.”

Altogether, there are twenty-nine men and women currently being detained in Belize since being intercepted in separate instances as of May seventh.  We understand that while they remain in detention, efforts will be made to notify their kin in India to make arrangements for their repatriation upon release. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

The two other groups were captured on the ninth and fourteenth of May. So far, only two drivers have been arrested including Clifton Hyde, a former employee of the British High Commission.