Clarendon Contractor Charged for Hiring Chinese Workers Without Permits

In a significant operation targeting illegal employment and potential human trafficking, Jamaican authorities have charged a local contractor and eight Chinese nationals in Clarendon. Lei Gao, a 39-year-old naturalized Jamaican contractor, faces eight counts of aiding and abetting the employment of foreign nationals without the requisite work permits.

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He has been identified as 39-year-old Lei Gao, a naturalised Jamaican contractor of Heifer Run, Toll Gate, Clarendon, who has been slapped with eight counts of aiding and abetting the employment of persons without work permits.

The eight Chinese men, identified as Tangming Gao, Jiquan Wu, Dingshun Wu, Xiaohua Yuan, Binbin Li, Jiancun Liu, Dehuli Gao, and Jinbo Zhang, were discovered working at a construction site in Mineral Heights. They have been charged under the Aliens Act and the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Act for overstaying their permits and working illegally.

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The eight Chinese men have also been charged with overstaying and working without a work permit under the Aliens Act and the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Act.

This enforcement action stemmed from an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Transnational Crime Investigation Division (TCID). The operation, which included the execution of a search warrant at the construction site, aimed to identify potential victims of human trafficking. Subsequent interviews, conducted with the assistance of an interpreter, revealed that the men had been recruited in China specifically to work for Lei Gao. The individuals appeared in court earlier this week to face the charges.

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Reports are that between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm, Transnational Crime Investigation Division (TCID), a division within the Specialised Investigation Branch, conducted an intelligence-led operation to identify potential victims of human trafficking.