West Yorkshire factory owner sentenced for people trafficking
A factory owner who employed large numbers of Hungarians as a ``slave workforce'' to supply beds to top high-street retailers has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for people trafficking.
The conviction of "pillar of the community'' Mohammed Rafiq is reported to be the first of a company boss for human trafficking offences in the UK.
The 60-year-old sourced the Hungarian nationals at his bed-making factory, Kozee Sleep, in Dewsbury, for cheap slave labour, making them work up to 16 hours a day for as little as ÂŁ10 per week.
Rafiq, who was described as having "a spectacular fall from grace'' within his religious community, was aware of the men's circumstances yet went along with their exploitation as a slave workforce.
At Leeds Crown Court Judge Christopher Batty said that having listened to the evidence of witnesses during the trial, it was apparent just how upset and how affected the witnesses were and the number of them who were reduced to tears''.
An investigation into the trafficking began at the Dewsbury-based firm and its subsidiary after two Hungarians, Janos Orsos and Ferenc Illes, were arrested over human trafficking allegations.
Rafiq, of Thorncliffe Road, Staincliffe, was convicted in January of a single count of conspiracy to traffic individuals within the UK.
Gavin Hotchkiss, reviewing lawyer, Complex Casework Unit, CPS Yorkshire and Humberside said: “Large numbers of Hungarian men were employed by Rafiq at his Kozee Sleep and Layzee Beds factories in West Yorkshire.
“This defendant was part of a persistent and heartless campaign of exploitation involving many Hungarian men over a prolonged period of time. These men were vulnerable and desperate for work; they were promised good wages and accommodation.
“Once in the UK they faced a very different reality, living in shared, squalid and grossly overcrowded accommodation, some of which was provided by Rafiq.
"They worked for anything up to 20 hours a day, five to seven days a week, for little or no wages. The money they earned was passed to the trafficking gang, who then handed over minimal amounts to the victims."
Daniel - which isn't his real name - is a human trafficking victim connected to the case.
He told Radio Aire other people made money from the work he did: "I did hard long, physical work. This was packaging matresses. And we worked 15/16 hours a day. 12/14 of us lived together in three rooms"
Detective Inspector Andy Leonard from West Yorkshire Police Human Trafficking Team spoke to Radio Aire about how the police find out about cases such as these: "It's no different to any other crime.We live and breath on the information and the intellegence that comes from the members of the public. So I would encourage them, if they've seen anything to contact the police".