Top Stories. M ore than 50 foreign females, mainly from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, who were suspected of being involved in sex trafficking, were recently detained and questioned by local police and immigration officers who were joined by agents from International Police Criminal Organization INTERPOL in raiding several bars in Providenciales in a highly controversial sting operation.
Investigations by The SUN revealed that most of the questioned females have since been sent back to their native countries, while local authorities have introduced more strict measures to make it more difficult for local bar owners to hire women from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, from where the vast majority of female bar tenders have been sourced for many years.
INTERPOL agents have also been stationed at the Providenciales International Airport where they have reportedly questioned several women and refused them entry into the Turks and Caicos Islands, after they could not answer certain questions, including how they will be able to support themselves while here.
A statement from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force confirmed the joint operation, which resulted in a number of persons being denied entry into the Turks and Caicos Islands. While the statement said that 36 females and three males of various nationalities were also "detained at a number of liquor licensed establishments in Providenciales for immigration violations", this newspaper understands that the number has increased since then.
Further investigations are to be carried out, police said. Reliable sources told The SUN that INTERPOL was summoned to TCI after receiving reports, including from high-level Government officials, that certain bar owners not all , were hiring females from the DR and Venezuela, housing them in sub-standard conditions with no bathroom facilities, while in some cases with-holding their passports and demanding that they pay some bar owners "a cut" if they left the bars to engage in sexual activity.
