A Ghanaian national who was detained in connection with the illegal entry of seven Nepalese nationals, has been charged with human trafficking by the Royal Grenada Police Force – reportedly the first case of human trafficking under Grenada’s revised 2012 criminal code.
Awal Abdul Sharif, a 34-year-old security officer and a resident of Trinidad, is alleged to have caused students Numkala Tiwari Kafle, 21; Ankit Dhakal, 19; Pradip Adhikari, 21; Dipak Sapkota, 22; Dipak Bhujel, 20; and Chandra Thapa, 20; and Arjun Kafle, 32 (cook), all citizens of Nepal, to unlawfully enter the State of Grenada at a place other than a lawful port of entry, and failing to have them report to an immigration officer for examination.
The African was reportedly expected to make his first court appearance on Friday, but was unable to do so because he was hospitalised.
The seven Nepalese are currently waiting departure to St. Lucia.
Police said they are being sent back to St. Lucia because that was their last port of legal entry “and then we have a situation where all their travel documents are with law enforcement there”.
The Nepalise nationals who went missing in St. Lucia turned up in Grenada on a boat earlier this week.
SOURCE: SNO/RGPF and Now Grenada