Soesdyke wildlife trader charged for trafficking Venezuelans

A 62-year-old wildlife trader was on Monday charged for allegedly trafficking two Venezuelan nationals for labour exploitation.

Feezal Shaw of Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

The two charges alleged that between February 14, 2018 and June 14, 2018 at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, he engaged in trafficking in persons and recruited, harboured or transported the two men and did not pay them.

Shaw was released on a total of $100,000 bail and the matter was adjourned until September 11, 2019.

According to reports, during the month of February 2018, the victims were invited by Shawn to come to Guyana and build cages for him to keep his exotic animals.

When the victims came to Guyana on February 14, 2018, they were allegedly paid for their first three days of work and were not paid until June 1, 2018, when Shaw handed them $100,000 each.

However, when the men asked for outstanding money owed Shaw did not pay them and took away their passports.

Shaw told the men that he would get them an extension of time but he never returned the documents.