BVI News

Hispanic woman sentenced to four months for illegal entry, fined $1K

Ingrid Alcantara De Polanco, the Dominican Republic woman who entered the territory illegally from St Thomas has been fined $1,000 and will spend four months at Her Majesty’s Prison.

The woman also has seven days to pay the fine or she will spend an additional two months at the adult penitentiary.

Magistrate Ayanna Baptiste-DaBreo handed down the sentence via Zoom on Friday, July 17.

As for her claims that she entered the territory for medical reasons, the medical document she presented to the court indicated that the tests in question were done in October of last year; contrary to claims that led the court to believe that it was recent.

 What the court heard happened

The court heard that on a date unknown between June 27 to July 8, she landed into the territory illegally.

On July 8, while checking in at the TB Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, Immigration officers noticed that she did not have any visible entry stamp in her passport.

She was heading out with a ticket to an undisclosed destination.

The court heard that she was asked to step aside and following discussions with the authorities, she was transported to the Road Town Police Station.

While at the station, she told law enforcers that she travelled to Tortola from St Thomas, USVI on a boat and paid $1,000 for the trip.

She further said she was assisted by an unknown male who took her to a house for a few days.

She was subsequently charged with the offence before the court.

Medical reasons 

Her attorney Nelson Samuel had told the court that his client was remorseful for her actions and that she travelled to the territory because she was diagnosed with a ‘lump in her breast’ and wanted to go to her home country to be with her four children.

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13 Comments

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  1. Follow up says:

    I hope the authorities are taking all the information to capture the male who bought her over and housed her, there must be contact details and a good description. Without which human traffickers will bring Covid 19 and death to BVI unravelling all the work and pain todate.

    Like 29
    • Agree says:

      But I bet she is not going to name the man. Also, I hope she was tested and under quarantine before they put her with the female inmates. Seems like the inmates is keeping up the hill clean because their is no COVID cases. They don’t have enough space to distance themselves and they are good.

    • Fisherfolk says:

      Water ‘taxis’ are bringing in people via West End. There are people with yachts coming to get them fixed, people who have booked very expensive AirBnBs and others. Also there are charter boats going out of the BVI to pick up charter in the USVI and then coming back via West End. It is common knowledge that money will get you anything, a boat ride, entry, you just have to find the right people.

      Like 10
      Dislike 2
    • Listen says:

      Listen I am here trying to read the news on line and it is a dam shame to hear them dam bikes loud loud it’s after 8 bike curfew is 5 and they passing the police station in eastend as well .but what the hell it starts from the top

      Like 1
      Dislike 1
  2. bAY bOY says:

    Them Police and Customs border patrol need to up their game around our boarders because we hear about people breaching our boarders all the time. We will sit right here thinking we are covid free and end up like the states with the way we going about right now thinking we have no cases here. SAD !!!

    Like 12
  3. PEZ KOI says:

    At least the smuggler can offer to give her back the $1,000 dollars to pay her bail. Oh well, NONREFUNDABLE. She got three squares, free room and board and free medical and dental on the backs of the tax payers who can hardly afford the above mentioned.

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
  4. @bay boy says:

    And you are correct. Everyday someone is getting into the Country. Someone said is big business with the smugglers. Five people a day, $5,000 easy tax free US dollars. Hope the BVI is ready and prepping for part 2 of COVID that is going to hit in the Fall and Winter Months. Why do you think the boarders is still closed and certain restrictions are still in place. And it is not only here, it is everywhere. In the States places that were given the ok to open up hand to close right back down. IE.. Restaurants, bars, hair and nail salons.

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
  5. Anonymous says:

    Todo lo dia van y vienen persona de st thomas y disque nunca nadie sabe nada

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  6. ? says:

    Person her like to blame the police customs and immigration for people who entered in the british virgin islands illegally. What not share some of that blame to our counterparts in the united states virgin islands, how did she get out in the first place without being detected. Something to think of.

  7. Dt says:

    You all up and arms with this but hating on trump to secure his border .

  8. tola says:

    why don’t we just send her out and ban her from ever coming back to the BVI again…EVER!!. Save the couple dollars we gonna feed her with

  9. Wear Your Masks! says:

    This covid is here in the BVI. Keep your masks on, social distance, wash your hands, AND STAY AWAY FROM LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE NOT WEARING MASKS! We are ahead of the rest of the world right now. PLEASE BVI keep it together for 4 more months. There will be a treatment at some point. Stay calm and carry on!!

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