‘Modern day slavery’: traffickers jailed for labour exploitation

15-Jan-2016 - Last updated on 15-Jan-2016 at 16:52 GMT

Two human traffickers have been jailed for three and a half years each for forcing a pair of food factory workers to endure squalid conditions and hunger with almost no pay.

Lithuanian nationals Konstantin Sasmurin, aged 34, and Linus Ratautas, aged 31, were sentenced today (Friday January 15) after pleading guilty to trafficking, labour exploitation and money laundering.

The men brought two migrant workers over from Lithuania to Great Yarmouth in a minibus in July 2013, promising them work, accommodation and food.

‘Lived in fear’

But once in the UK, the workers slept in mouldy accommodation with no beds, often went hungry for days on end, lived in fear and wore the same clothes for four months.

The victims first worked long hours at a vegetable processing factory in Suffolk, and later moved to a poultry processing factory in the same county.

The men received just £20 for all their work between July and October 2013, with the traffickers claiming they owed money for accommodation, transport, electricity, taxes and interest.

Detective Sergeant Mark Scott, from Norfolk Constabulary, said: “This case is another example that modern day slavery is real and is happening around us. It must not be tolerated.”

The victims had been threatened not to tell anybody and feared that they would be “fed to the crabs”. But they were eventually discovered by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA).

‘Bravery of victims’

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victims in this case who had the courage to alert the authorities to what was happening to them,” Scott said.

When taken to work at the food processing factories, the victims were made to give the traffickers’ bank details to the companies for wage payment. But wages were never passed on.

Sasmurin and Linus Ratautas, of Yarmouth Road, Caister-on-Sea, were sentenced at Kings Lynn Crown Court today. They were also issued a Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order.

GLA senior investigating officer Dave Powell said: “The GLA is delighted that months of hard work, dedication and tenacious investigation have secured the right result in this case.

“Officers from all parties involved came together to create a formidable team and what is perhaps even more important for those involved is the victims in this case are satisfied and relieved these men who trafficked and exploited them have now been brought to justice.”

He described the victims as extremely vulnerable, adding: “They were preyed upon and exploited by perpetrators who showed not a care for their welfare and were driven solely by financial greed.”