Pointe-à-Pitre Guadeloupe (TDN) -- Four Haitians have been sentenced to 3 to 5 years in prison in Guadeloupe for the human trafficking following a lengthy investigation by French Police. Widberley Predestin (26), Ismick Premier (35), Jean Louis (33) and Jean Vil (36) appeared before the Criminal Court of Pointe-à-Pitre earlier this week where the sentences were handed down.
The court was told that the four were part of a criminal gang that charged as much as $4 000 to $5 000 dollars to illegal migrants from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They were first taken to Dominica where they were charged an additional $200 to $600 to be taken usually under the cover of darkness to South Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe) before being taken (50 to 100 euros per person) in a house in Petit-Bourg where they contacted their families, who had to bring the money.
According to court records the four men received their orders from an as yet unidentified ‘boss’ residing in Dominica. The trafficking took place over a period of more than a year with over thirty landings bringing in an average of 15 – 20 illegal migrants per trip.
The court sentenced Jean Vil to 3 years in prison with 18 months suspended and Widberley Predestin, Ismick Premier and Jean Louis to 5 years in prison with 18 months suspended. They were also each fined an additional 3,000 to 5,000 euros.