Spain Arrests 15 for Trafficking, Exploiting Farm Workers
Spanish police have freed 21 victims of labour exploitation in agriculture and arrested 15 people suspected of human trafficking. The victims are citizens of Moldova and Romania, according to Spanish media.
Investigators say the criminal network held the victims in extremely poor conditions, depriving them of food and water during workdays. Authorities launched an investigation after officers learned of several victims of human trafficking in the town of Brenes.
Police conducted seven raids in the province of Seville. Investigators found that the criminal network consisted of two groups living lavish lifestyles. Following the raids, police seized over 37,000 euros, three luxury cars, 15 mobile phones, computers, watches, jewellery, machetes, and a pen gun.
According to police, Moldovan and Romanian citizens were recruited in their home countries through advertisements and social media networks, enticed with promises of well-paid jobs in Spain. The victims were then taken by bus to Seville, where members of the group altered their original documents to identify them as local workers. The victims were housed in apartments in the towns of Brenes and Cantillana. They were not allowed to move freely or leave the premises and were forced to work long hours performing various agricultural tasks. The perpetrators did not allow them to drink water or eat during working hours, despite the high temperatures and intense physical exertion. One person fainted in a supermarket, and another was injured after trying to escape through the window of a house. The leaders of the criminal network face charges of human trafficking, forgery, and identity theft.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
