SUSPECTED victims and survivors of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) are never placed in police custody, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has clarified.

A statement from the ministry made it clear that these victims are safeguarded by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Unit.

The ministry sought to provide the clarification after the Guyana Police Force released a statement on Saturday, in which it said that 49 persons, including children, were detained and placed in custody following a human-trafficking operation conducted on Friday night at a well-known guest house and hotel at Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

“The women and children are now in the protective care of the ministry, while the perpetrators are in police custody. It is apt to note that the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act of 2005 guarantees the safety and protection of all victims and ensure their rights are respected and not violated,” the ministry noted.

The police force has noted that the exercise was conducted in the Parika area where searches were conducted at Mottie Guest House. There, the police encountered a total of nine women from Venezuela. They were all arrested.
The team then conducted searches at Razon Hotel where several rooms were searched and 14 males and 26 women, including two children, all from Venezuela, were arrested.

Members of the public are encouraged to report all suspicious TIP activities to the ministry’s TIP hotline numbers 227-4083, 623-5030 or 624-0079 (Spanish hotline). Persons can also visit the TIP Guyana Facebook page.