By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN man and 21 suspected illegal migrants of various nationalities were apprehended by Bahamian authorities at a vacation property in West Grand Bahama in what is believed to be a foiled human smuggling operation.

The migrants and a man believed to be a resident of Hawksbill were discovered at a vacation home in Bootle Bay, West End, shortly after 10pm on Tuesday.

The Bahamas Immigration Department was contacted by officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force in West End, requesting assistance concerning a group of suspected illegal migrants found at a property.

According to reports, 22 people, 17 men and five women, were found at the residence and turned over to immigration officials.

Immigration officials have confirmed that ten Brazilians; five Chinese, a German, Ecuadorian, Dominican, Ethiopian, Cuban, and one unidentified male without an ID, were taken into custody for processing.

While the migrants were being held for processing at an immigration facility in Freeport, at least one sustained a minor injury of a sprained leg after a reported escape attempt from the second floor of the building.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that the group may have been preparing to be smuggled into the United States by boat. However, their plans were intercepted before they could be carried out,” officials said in a statement.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the role of the Bahamian man or that of an unidentified man who could not produce any official identification.

Human trafficking continues to be an ongoing issue in the northern Bahamas, particularly on the islands of Grand Bahama and Bimini. In February, 22 migrants and two Bahamians that left Bimini were intercepted in waters off Florida.