A picture frame manufacturer in Greater Manchester (United Kingdom) was raided by police on Monday, with thirteen Slovak workers found to be forced to live and work in squalid conditions. The factory, Iqbal Brothers, was the target for an anti-slavery raid in the Greater Manchester area. Four men were arrested on trafficking and enslavement charges with one man being arrested for immigration offences. Police commented that intelligence had led them to search the Rochdale property, where they found the Slovak citizens "living in terrible conditions", with as many as four people sleeping in each room. "The men and women are promised accommodation and jobs, but are forced to live in cramped, terrible conditions before being made to work in a factory for more than 12 hours per day. The factory owners pay them around £125 for 80 hours of work per week, but then took up to £100 away immediately for rent, travel and other expenses", said Detective Inspector James Faulkner. The factory workers also complained to police that they were physically and verbally abused by the owners of the firm.

Text: Gavin Shoebridge, Photo: sammisreachers/pixabay.com