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2 Venezuelans arrested for overstaying time in VI
It was on September 6, 2020, that our newsroom reported that two persons were taken into custody by Immigration Department, following an early morning raid on a building in the heart of Road Town.
The raid, which was conducted by the Joint Agency Task Force, took place around 5:00am.
Information Officer in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Ms Akia L. Thomas had stated: “I can confirm that the Joint Task Force conducted an operation at the Bettito Frett Building in Road Town on Sunday, September 6, to ascertain the immigration status of the residents there. As a result, two individuals were taken into custody by the Immigration Department.”
According to a press release from Government, the operation of the Joint Task Force at a building located on Wickham’s Cay I lasted for 2 and a half hours.
72 persons were living in building
The operation, according to the press release, resulted in the discovery of 72 persons living in the building.
“Among the persons found in the building were two male Venezuelan individuals who have overstayed the time permitted on their landing permits as visitors. Those two persons are being detained pending their removal from the Territory.”
The other 70 individuals found at the location, the press release stated, were able to show proof that they are legally residing in the Territory and were not detained.
“The operation saw exceptional joint collaboration with the RVIPF ARV Team, Customs K9 Unit and other officers of the Customs department and Immigration officers.”
Public thanked
Acting Chief Immigration Officer, Mr Ian B. Penn expressed his gratitude to members of the public who came forward with information that led to the successful apprehension of the two persons who overstayed their landing permits in the Territory.
“Creating a safer community is the business of everyone who calls the BVI home, and we are encouraging the public to support law enforcement agencies. We are in this together with BVILOVE,” he said.
Mr Penn also thanked and congratulated the officers present for working seamlessly to successfully carry out the operation, which he also credited to meticulous planning. The Joint Task Force is a collaboration between officers of the Immigration Department, Her Majesty’s Customs, and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).
This task force, according to Government, was established to increase surveillance and enforcement on the sea and land during this COVID-19 era.
“This multiagency approach to law enforcement has taken a zero-tolerance stance to crime on land and sea and to foster safer communities for legal residents.
“The officers involved have expressed their commitment to remaining focused on playing their respective roles in keeping the BVI safe during this pandemic and beyond,” the press release stated.
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37 Responses to “2 Venezuelans arrested for overstaying time in VI”
Time for zoning laws. Nobody should be living on Wickhams Cay period!
There are over 100 000 US Citizens living in the Dominican Republic. Does this make the USA a poor country?
Lay the blame on the dude P$ who left his wife for the Santo that owns the bar. He is responsible for the import of illegal Santos in Sea Cows Bay. Pull a raid on his bar and see how much Illegal Santos will start running for the hills.
72 persons in that one building? They must have been packed up like little cockroaches.
It is one thing to be here 'legally' but I wonder if all of the other 70 persons found are gainfully employed? What about the living conditions? Does not sound healthy to me.
Hope we are not going down a steep slope by having this trashy sort of accommodation existing in the heart of Road Town.
Fact is that their installation in and neighbouring our properties causes our property value to drastically diminish by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The benefit of the overwhelming import of immigrants in the VI benefits the immigrant a thousand times
more than it does the islanders. The average VIslander has car house land education (or the ability to have) which are the same things they have always had... the difference is that their then, property values kept rising unlike the current bulk migration with no discernment and oversight.
We expect a news report on that ...72 people...LAWLESSNESS!!!!!
therefore the immigration bond which would have been posted by the employer should be used to repatriate these two...that is after all what the immigration bond is for is it not . ?
we should not be burdened with this expense. the employer elected to bring these people in after Irma...they he should remove them from the territory when he has no further employment for them.
It will be very interesting to see if this actually happens....he needs to be made an example of plain and simple
Aquí en tórtola hay una soberanía sobre los hispanos todo lo qué pasa con un hispano dicen los es decir que todo somos malo y entonces cómo es que los hispanos los detienen en el agua en bote de quien de los ingles y somos nosotros los malos agarran 10 inglés pero solo detienen un hispano y es lo peor que allá pasado pero si todo nos quedamos con el rabo de tras del culo tienen que hacer de todo con nosotros vamos a salir a reclamar nuestro derecho. los jefe que no quieren pagar los seguro por que se Cohen todo el dinero de tax y social cuando uno vas a sacar su permiso de trabajo lo mandan a buscar una carta, no se puede por que el jefe no lo paga que lindo y somos los hispanos los malo. Penco de ladrones
In 2007 the government of the day enacted legislation for Immigration Officers to posses guns during special operations. We are now 2020, don't be afraid to tell the man from west end what I tell the man from up country. You all are good soldiers but don't be coward ones. Stand up and fight for your health and safety.
The building is a four story building with only two entry and exit points and 2 armed police officers could have manned these posts while a bilingual immigration officer together with an armed police could have visited room to room since it is a hotel complex and ask persons to show their documents.
However, this was not done and the police officers rounded up every one and treated them like animals and made them go to Banco Popular car park where the Chief Immigration Office along with his staff with his desk and chairs interviewed all of the persons in question. There were two large busses parked nearby to transport all of the so called illegal immigrants but of course they came back empty and they had to be paid.
The police kicked doors open and damaged locks and never offered any compensation to the Landlord and frightened people with a barrage of guns and ammunition like they were in a war zone practicing on poor wage earners who live from pay check to pay check some of whom cannot go on construction sites due to Covid 19 situation.
This is not fair and the raid was based on pure propaganda that illegal immigrants were living in the building because a large number of construction workers were imported from the entire Caribbean by the Landlord to carry out works not only on his hotel project ( which was stopped by the bank because they refused to release nearly one Million dollars of his insurance money ) but also on other high end projects throughout the British Virgin islands.
Our people are very much ungrateful including the big mouth one constantly attacking His Excellency the Governor who feels that the people do not have work and we should send them home without first finding out if this is correct. When we needed manpower after hurricane Irma we begged all over the Caribbean for help to rebuild our country but after 3 years we tend to forget and want to throw them out like cats and dogs. Shame on you Big Mouth.
The raid was a total failure because this is the second time immigration and customs together with the police raided this man's property late last year and the first time they came up with one person who overstayed as well and it never made headlines.
The Press is wicked (no wonder Donald Trump doesn't like them) having the Landlord name all over it about he has illegal immigrants in his building.
These immigrants were brought in by their own family who allowed them to overstay of which the Landlord had no knowledge. When one checks into a hotel the Landlord does not ask him if he is legal or not ; that is not his business so why are you blaming him?
The task force should be properly assigned to catch the criminals who continually kill people and enter our borders illegally. When last have you seen the task force stop and search persons to get the illegal guns off of the streets? If our borders were properly controlled we would not have been in this predicament.