Man arrested for slavery offences in food sector
Officers from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) were supported by the West Midlands Police in making the arrest of the 39-year-old man in the Handsworth area of Birmingham on Thursday morning (14 March).
Commenting after the operation, GLAA senior investigating officer Andy Davies said: “Modern slavery is hidden in every community and our work is crucial in disrupting people who believe that they can get away with exploiting people for their labour.”
The arrest comes a week after a 21-year-old Polish man was taken into custody on suspicion of slavery offences related to the trafficking and exploitation of a 27-year-old victim in Bradford.
Human trafficking
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.
If you believe someone is being exploited, call the GLAA’s confidential hotline on 0800 4320 804, or send them an email.
Meanwhile, last year, a man and a woman convicted of supplying illegal workers to food factories in the UK have been served with what is described as the first anti-social behaviour order for rogue employers.
