ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada police say the passports found in a boat that had been found drifting in the northeast Atlantic maritime space of Grenada nearly three weeks ago, belong to individuals from the Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d’Ivoire, a country on the southern coast of West Africa.

The unoccupied boat was found by two fishermen. It had some personal effects such as shoes, clothing and two passports.

“We have now officially informed the relevant agencies and authorities, so I can now disclose that the passports were from the Ivory Coast,” said Assistant Superintendent of Police, Simon Douglas.

He said the police were not at liberty to disclose the identities of the holders of the passports, since the matter remains under investigation.

In December 2021, a boat with seven dead bodies was discovered drifting in the northern coast of Grenada. At the time, police said that preliminary digital forensic analysis found on the boat led them to believe that this incident may have been associated with human trafficking or human smuggling.

The police are yet to officially give an update on the investigation about the seven bodies, two of which were believed to be teenagers.

According to the 2022 Trafficking in Person report, the Ivorian government identified 1,190 trafficking victims, in contrast to the identification of 302 trafficking victims the previous year.

Children accounted for most victims.

The United States (US) Department of State ranks Côte d’Ivoire, as a Tier 2 country meaning it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so” as set out in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act”.