Glenroy Sinclair and Andrea Downer, Gleaner Writers

After months of surveillance a massage parlour suspected of flouting sections of the Human Trafficking Act was yesterday ordered closed by members of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) who have since issued a warrant for the arrest of the proprietor(s).

This was after the lawmen conducted a pre-dawn operation at the Portview Avenue massage parlour in Duhaney Park, St. Andrew, where five women - aged 21 to 27 - were picked up. The police are now in the process of making contact with experts from non-governmental organisations to offer counselling to the women.

Reports are that at least one of the women came from as far away as Montego Bay, St. James.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the women had responded to an advertisement for employment at the massage parlour."We are pursuing investigations for possible breaches of the Human Trafficking Act," said Assistant Superintendent Victor Barrett, who led yesterday's operation.

Used condoms

According to the lawmen, a large quantity of used condoms, sex toys, pornographic material and massage oils were found at the five-apartment building, which is protected by at least three security cameras on the premises.

"There was a lot of sexual activity going on," said one policemen who made the observation that some of the women were naked or half-naked at the house. Two men were also at the massage parlour when the police arrived.

This is the sixth suspected case of human trafficking uncovered by the police in the past 18 months. In the meantime, The Gleaner has learnt at least 10 other entities across the island are now under surveillance.

Jamaica is currently ranked at Tier-2 of a United States Government watchlist on human trafficking. The ranking is an interim rating just above Tier-3, the lowest possible grade on the three-tier system. The country has held this position, which is considered a danger zone, since June of last year.

Jamaica failed to improve its position in an interim report, released in February this year, which was done to determine if the government had taken the required steps to combat human trafficking.

The US government stated in the report that Jamaica needed to significantly increase the number of human trafficking related prosecutions and convictions. The annual review by the US last June had cited corruption among officials as a major factor, which hampered the achievement of those goals. Jamaica's low marks were also attributed to the lack of a support system for trafficked victims that would include rehabilitation and counselling of victims.

The Human Trafficking Act took effect in mid February. The Act outlines stiff penalties including fines of up to $500,000 for human trafficking offences and has provision for compensation to be awarded to victims of trafficking.