Six charged in unlicensed food workers case

Charges were brought after a multi-agency operation involving the GLA, Derbyshire Police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s UK Human Trafficking Centre resulted in seven arrests on Monday (July 15). 

The three men and three women were sentenced for human trafficking into, and within, the UK at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court. 

In addition, a 41 year-old woman, arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and money laundering, has been released on bail while enquiries continue. 

Human trafficking​ 

During the raids leading to the arrests, 11 men were discovered who were believed to have been victims of human trafficking. 

The men were taken to a special reception centre set up by Derbyshire County Council, Derbyshire City Council, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. Police believe details of some of the men were used to claim benefits fraudulently. 

“The roles they carried out included flower packing and meat processing​,” said the GLA in a statement. 

“Supplying workers to perform both types of work requires a GLA licence. Detectives are continuing to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and the GLA as part of the ongoing investigation.”​

Multi-agency crack down​

The GLA also announced the arrest of a man in Norwich on suspicion of fraud in another multi-agency crack down on a Lithuanian gang.

“It is suspected they might be involved in supplying workers for both agriculture and food processing without a licence,” said the GLA. “Provision of temporary workers to these sectors is regulated by and requires a licence from the GLA.”​

GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent said: “As an intelligence-led organisation, we rely on members of the public to inform us when something appears to be wrong within the employment sector we regulate.​

“In this case, we had received enough information to suggest the suspect could be acting as a gangmaster unlawfully, and the properties we visited may be involved in serious organised criminal activities. By working with Norfolk Police and other local organisations, who teamed up to execute these warrants and search the properties, we have been able to retain substantial amounts of evidence.​

“Through forensic investigation of the items seized, we will seek to prosecute these suspects.”​

Fined £2,000​ 

Separately, a farming company from Inverbervie in Scotland has been fined £2,000 for supplying temporary workers to a potato processing and packaging plant without the required gangmaster’s licence. 

Jacobsen GFM, trading as AM & AJ Jacobsen, from Grange of Kinneff, pleaded guilty to the offence of acting as an unlicensed gangmaster at Stonehaven Sheriff Court last week. 

The GLA had discovered that the Aberdeenshire business had been illegally supplying the unlicensed workers to a potato plant in Fettercairn between October 2011 and August 2012.

The GLA told FoodManufacture.co.uk that the flurry of activity was not a result of an orchestrated national campaign, but rather business as usual for the organisation.

However, a GLA spokesman also told us the work was a result of a shift in strategy in June to focus on priority issues. “We have agreed to a change in direction, where we have decided to concentrate more on serious organised crime.”​

The strategy, Working in Partnership to Protect Vulnerable and Exploited Workers 2013–2016, will run for the next three years.