The National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (NATFATIP) has partnered with VP Records to launch a campaign to raise awareness against human trafficking. The launch kicked off yesterday, with the release of a Reggae medley titled “Shadows After Dark.” According to Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, trafficking in persons is a lucrative and growing business. “It is growing, and as we get on top of dealing with the illegal drugs and firearms trades – it means the criminal organisations are losing money, and they will look to other areas, and clearly one of those areas is human trafficking”.

Meanwhile Richard Lue, Director of Business Affairs for VP Records, who coordinated the partnership between VP Records and NATFATIP, said “music is one of the best ways to communicate. We felt it important to work with NATFATIP to make sure as many people are aware of human trafficking and the perils it brings.”

To raise awareness and spark conversations about the crime of human trafficking, “Shadows After Dark” encourages persons to be very careful of whom they trust. The song is produced by Reggae star Alborosie, and performed by Christopher Martin, Romain Virgo, Dean Fraser, Duane Stephenson, Kabaka Pyramid, Etana, Taurus Riley, Kumar, Morgan Heritage, Raging Fyah and Sandy Smith, and uses familiar phrasing such as “you can see a man’s face but not his heart” to accentuate how trust can be abused.

The accompanying lyric video demonstrates ways in which trafficking can be conducted. The lyric video for “Shadows After Dark” will premiere on TVJ today, during the national news broadcast. The song will be widely available on all digital platforms on Friday November 27.

On December 1, an international poster competition will also be launched to raise awareness against human trafficking and will end next May. NATFATIP was established in 2005 as a multi-agency approach by the Government of Jamaica to strengthen Jamaica’s legislative, institutional and operational capacity to combat Trafficking in persons (TIP). Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons. This can be accomplished by means of threat, use of force, forms of coercion, abduction, deception or abuse of power.

For more information, additional media inquiries or to request a copy of “Shadows After Dark” please email: [email protected]