PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago police have detained 11 people — eight Venezuelans, two Syrians and a Guyanese — after a video of people jumping off a boat and running to the beach in Erin, south-west of Port of Spain, was circulated on social media.
Police said that the 11 foreigners were detained at a local hotel in the area and that the 37-year-old owner had also been held pending further investigations.
In a statement, the police said that the detention of the illegal immigrants was part of an anti-crime exercise.
Earlier this week, the video on social media showed the people jumping off a boat and running to the beach, with bags in their hands.
Minister of National Security Stuart Young, speaking on television, described the video as disturbing, adding that the authorities were working on increasing border protection.
Young also said he would take to Cabinet a number of initiatives to deal with the situation regarding the country’s border.
The statement said the police searched the hotel and arrested seven men and four women ranging from ages 18 to 55 years.
It said that those detained have since been handed over to the Immigration Department in San Fernando.
