Arrest made after suspected slavery offences

By Noli Dinkovski

- Last updated on GMT

GLAA officers carried out the operation with West Yorkshire Police on Thursday 7 March
GLAA officers carried out the operation with West Yorkshire Police on Thursday 7 March
A 21-year-old Polish man has been arrested on suspicion of modern slavery and human trafficking offences relating to another Polish man working in the food industry.

The suspected 27-year-old victim, believed to have been trafficked to the UK and exploited, has been rescued and safeguarded by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) in Bradford.

He has been accepted into the National Referral Mechanism, a government framework that seeks to ensure potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking are given help and support.

GLAA officers carried out the operation with West Yorkshire Police on Thursday 7 March, after receiving intelligence indicating that the potential victim had been brought over to the UK in 2018 with the promise of lucrative work.

£50 a week for his work

However, instead it has been alleged that his wages were controlled and he received only £50 a week for his work in the food processing sector.

The arrested Polish man has been questioned and released under investigation, pending further enquiries.

GLAA senior investigating officer Dave Powell said: “We take our responsibility to protect vulnerable workers extremely seriously and will not hesitate to ensure that potential victims are removed from exploitative surroundings.

“But as an intelligence-led organisation, we rely on your help to report the concerns you have. If you get in touch with us, we can take steps to make sure victims can move on and live their lives free from exploitation.”

The GLAA has police-style powers to investigate labour market offences in England and Wales.

GLAA helpline

For those who suspect someone is the victim of modern slavery, human trafficking, or any other form of labour exploitation, the GLAA can be contacted on 0800 4320804 or emailed here​.

Last month, officers from the GLAA and Suffolk Police arrested a 20-year-old Romanian man in Ipswich​ after receiving reports that another young Romanian man had been exploited.

In October 2018, a man and a woman were convicted of supplying illegal workers to food factories in Leicester​ and were served with Labour Market Enforcement Orders, while in the same month a man in Wales was arrested on suspicion of exploiting workers as an unlicensed gangmaster​ in the fresh food packaging and processing sector.

Related topics Supply Chain

Related news

Show more

Follow us

Featured Jobs

View more

Webinars

PRODUCTS & SERVICES