Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) director Alana Wheeler says to date they have not dealt with any cases of organ trafficking/trade of human organs or trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal in T&T.
Wheeler was responding to a question based on recent statements made by Alexa Oliva, a member of the South Florida Human Trafficking Task Force, which is an agency geared towards rescuing and protecting victims of human trafficking, raising awareness and prosecuting traffickers.
Oliva and other members of the US Motivational Mission group are currently in the country raising awareness at schools about human trafficking.
In a media report earlier this week, Oliva said there is a possibility that many of the children and adults who have reportedly gone missing in T&T are cases of human trafficking and added that children are being recruited not only for prostitution and labour but for their organs.
She described it as “a big money business” and warned that human traffickers are on the lookout to recruit and take children every day by frequenting shopping malls, recreational parks and parties.
However, Wheeler said the CTU, which operates under the Ministry of National Security, has no such reports.
However, she noted that the ministry, through the CTU, continues to partner with all relevant stakeholders in the fight against adult and child trafficking. She said for the year so far, three T&T nationals have been charged for human trafficking – one female business owner for forced labour and two males for child sex trafficking.
“In July/August 2018, the Ministry of National Security signed an MOU with the Children’s Authority of T&T to formalise a working relationship to treat with child trafficking. MNS, through the CTU, also formed multi-dimensional teams to investigate and respond to cases of child trafficking. These teams comprise various government agencies,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler also gave the assurance that the CTU continues to train police officers and other frontline officers on identifying the signs/indicators of human trafficking.
She said in July/August, the CTU sponsored puppet shows throughout NALIS libraries in a bid to raise awareness among children and parents on the indicators/signs of child trafficking.
She also said the CTU uses various media to communicate its messages and via training sessions at schools throughout T&T.
In an interview with the T&T Guardian recently, director of the Children’s Authority of T&T, Safiya Noel, also said the authority has no such reports of human trafficking for organs but promised to investigate further.
Noel said usually in cases like these the authority seeks to form a special task force involving other agencies, including the T&T Police Service, to deal with the case.