Two men arrested on suspicion of modern slavery offences

Two men have been arrested following a raid at two addresses as part of an investigation into modern slavery.

The Gangmasters and Labour and Abuse Authority (GLAA) carried out the arrests simultaneously of a 61-year-old man in Buckinghamshire and a 36-year-old Cheshire man on Tuesday (30 July 2024), following intelligence that staff were being exploited at a care home.

Nine people were rescued from a care home, based in North Wales, by the GLAA after it was reported that the workers had paid extortionate sponsorship fees, were living in overcrowded accommodation, and forced to work up to 80 hours per week.

The two men were later released under investigation pending further enquiries after being questioned by the GLAA, Thames Valley Police and Cheshire Police.

GLAA Senior Investigating Officer Andy Brown said: “We received allegations that a number of people have been working and living in less than adequate conditions and in fear of deportation due to threats made to them.

“We will not hesitate to act when we receive reports of vulnerable people being exploited for their labour and is a primary focus for our organisation. 

“I’d like to thank our partner agencies at Thames Valley Police and Cheshire Police for their assistance during these arrests and encourage anyone who suspects that workers are being exploited for their labour to contact us. 

You can contact the GLAA on 0800 432 0804. Please provide us with as much information as possible to enable us to investigate your concerns. You can also email us on contact@gla.gov.uk or use our online reporting from which is available through our website at www.gla.gov.uk.