Human traffickers jailed for 'horrific exploitation' of vulnerable migrants in north London
By John Dunne,
4 hours ago
Members of an organised crime group in Enfield have been jailed for trafficking vulnerable individuals into the UK for modern slavery Met Police
Three organised crime gang members have been jailed for people trafficking and modern slavery in north London .
The trio were hunted down after a tip-off from Czech police about a crime ring exploiting men and women as far back as 2012.
Zdenek Drevenak, 38, Jiri Cernohous, 49, and Martin Slovjak, 46, were jailed for a total of 26 years for their involvement in human trafficking , forced labour and money laundering in Enfield.
The group, who were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, targeted vulnerable individuals from the Czech Republic and brought them to Britain exploiting them for financial gains, the court heard.
They transported victims by coach, plane and car and took them to Durant's Road in Enfield.
The victims were then made to work at fast-food chains in Caxton, Cambridgeshire or a pita bread bakery in Hoddesdon and Tottenham.
The gang they made up to £400,000 per year from their illegal activity exploiting them.
Met officers reviewed 1,505 hours of CCTV footage from a house in Enfield to gather evidence and bring the group to justice.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy from the Central Specialist Crime unit leading the investigation, said: “ Our priority at the Met is to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking, targeting dangerous and exploitative offenders as we continue to transform how we protect vulnerable people from harm.
“Modern slavery offenders are cruel and seek to benefit from people who often have hopes and dreams for a better life, forcing them into bleak conditions and taking advantage of them.
“By raising awareness, supporting victims and holding these criminals accountable, we can work towards eradicating modern slavery and human trafficking from our communities.”
The investigation team found that the group was involved in forcing vulnerable adults into forced labour, domestic servitude and sex work.
The victims, who couldn’t speak English, were deceived into signing contracts that allowed their wages go into the defendant’s bank accounts.
This enabled the gang to avoid following labour laws by making the victims work long hours of 10-12 hours a day without any breaks.
Even though the victims were supposed to earn £300 per week, they only received a small amount between £10-50 as pocket money. On top of this, the victims were charged £150 per week for rent.
Debi Lloyd, Head of UK Counter Trafficking Operation at Justice and Care said: “This has been a long running and complex case and it has been our privilege to support the survivors.
“These men and women faced horrific exploitation that no human being should ever be put through, and the courage they have shown throughout the investigation amid incredibly difficult circumstances has been astounding.
“We also applaud the tireless work of the police involved in this case. This sentencing shows how our navigators are essential in empowering survivors throughout the criminal justice process and enabling investigation teams to build strong cases”.
Drevenak was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, Cernohous nine years and Slovja four years.
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