The court has ordered the forfeiture of illicit funds linked to human trafficking and money laundering, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) disclosed in a statement issued Tuesday.

The ruling stems from a 2019 investigation that began with a joint operation by the Port of Spain Task Force and the Special Operations Response Team (SORT). During a raid on a “Secret Sunday” event along Lady Chancellor Road, officers rescued a Spanish-speaking minor, who was placed in the care of the Counter-Trafficking Unit (CTU) and Child Protection Unit (CPU).

Further intelligence led police to a bar in Cunupia, where 33 Spanish-speaking women were discovered during a search on November 25, 2019. The bar’s manager was arrested.