FIVE IRISH Travellers, four men and a woman, were arrested in England yesterday by heavily-armed officers in a dawn raid, suspected of enslaving dozens of immigrants and homeless UK citizens for up to 15 years.
Twenty-four alleged victims, mostly eastern European, but including a number of British, were found held in appalling conditions in rundown caravans and a garden shed on the Travellers’ caravan site in Little Billington in Bedfordshire.
Last night, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Constabulary indicated charges against the five under the Slavery and Servitude Act will follow over the next two days, while they continue to search for three others suspected of involvement.
The alleged victims held at the Green Acres caravan park were allegedly brought there after being offered work laying tarmac or doing house maintenance, but were allegedly held captive, forced to seek work and hand over their earnings.
Some of the alleged victims had been recruited at welfare benefit offices, employment exchanges, charity soup kitchens, or at aid organisations helping those suffering from alcoholism or with drug addictions.
“They’re recruited and told if you come here we’ll pay you £80 a day, we’ll look after you, give you board and lodgings. But when they get here, their hair is cut off them, they’re kept, in some cases, in horseboxes, dog kennels and old caravans, made to work for no money, given very, very small amounts of food.
“Some are treated a little bit better, but they were told they could not leave and if they did they would be beaten up and attacked,” said Det Chief Insp Seán O’Neil of the constabulary’s major crimes unit.
Detectives have been investigating the slavery allegations for up to four years, he said, though the constabulary says it struggled to act until new anti-slavery legislation was passed in 2010 and witnesses were prepared to make formal statements.
Last night, the 24 were still receiving medical care, though a number are badly malnourished. One was fouled with excrement when discovered as they slept four to a caravan, while two were freed from a garden shed by police, who raided at 5.30am.
“The men we found at the site were in a poor state of physical health and the conditions they were living in were shockingly filthy and cramped. We believe some of them had been living and working there in a state of virtual slavery, some for just a few weeks and others for up to 15 years,” said Det Chief Insp O’Neil.
Yesterday’s raid followed an approach from a former victim, who alleged he had been held by a gang who repeatedly beat him and threatened him with even worse consequences if he tried to escape.
Privately, police believe that they have made a major breakthrough in an investigation into such activities.
The five arrested yesterday, in the operation that involved 200 officers, some heavily-armed, were still being questioned late last night at several police stations. Weapons and drugs are alleged to have been found.
