The Ministry of National Security hosted an intensive Human Trafficking and Smuggling Prevention Course at the Customs and Excise Department conference room in Bird Rock. The training was delivered under the auspices of the Ministry, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, Dr Lionel von Frederick Rawlins, and the Anti-Human Trafficking and Border Control Task Force, from June 30th to July 4th 2025. It was facilitated by Lieutenant
Colonel Kerry Waterman of the Regional Security System (RSS) and Ms Joycelyn Hughes of CARICOM IMPACS.
The week-long course covered a broad range of critical subject areas, including:
The regional impact of human trafficking and the smuggling of illicit weapons and narcotics
Early indicators and victim profiling (“red flags”)
Protocols for first responders
Prevention and intervention strategies
Cross-agency collaboration and support mechanisms for exploited persons
A total of fifty (50) officers and officials from across the Federation participated, representingthe Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, Customs & Excise and Immigration Departments, Probation and Child Welfare Services, the St. Kitts and Nevis Prison Service, and the Anti-Human Trafficking and Border Control Task Force.
For the first time, private security professionals were also included in the training cohort, an acknowledgement of their growing role in the nation’s layered security framework and front-line deterrence capability. Upon successful completion of the course, each participant was awarded a professional certificate, marking their strengthened capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to incidents of human trafficking and smuggling and to collaborate effectively across agencies and sectors.
The Ministry of National Security extends its sincere gratitude to Dr Rawlins, the RSS, and CARICOM IMPACS for their unwavering support and partnership in building a safer and more resilient Federation.
