Suspected Poachers in TCI Turned Over to Immigration and Sent Home

Turks and Caicos, May 16, 2017 – Providenciales – After allegedly stealing TCI fish, being charged on eight counts of illegally fishing our waters, pleading not guilty, forcing a unique, dynamic and overwhelming situation for Her Majesty’s Prison system and contracting and facing the skin disease, scabies, 40 of the 43 Dominican poachers were ordered to return home.

The men were turned over to immigration for repatriation and placed on the TCI Stop list. This means that they cannot return legally to Turks and Caicos.

The men were scheduled to start leaving TCI today at 11:30 AM. It is reported that they got fresh clothes and shoes before being sent home. This comes afters complaints of the men not being given fresh clothes since their arrest in mid-March.

Family had reached out to Magnetic Media from the Dominican Republic with concerns after the scabies outbreak at the Detention Center; but the men scheduled to return to the Dominican Republic were cleared by the Health Department.

In court yesterday, the fishermen faced the charges and their sentence was reduced to time served. They departed on interCaribbean and Caicos Express airways flights back home, which were paid for by TCIG.

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