Two men who ran rat-infested car wash where they paid workers just £20-A-WEEK after trafficking Romanians into the UK are jailed for total of seven years over slavery ring

  • Two men who ran a rat-infested car wash in Cumbria jailed over slavery offences
  • Defrim Paci, 42, and Sitar Ali, 33, paid trafficked Romanians just £20-per-week
  • Victims worked 11 hours a day for six days a week, Carlisle Crown Court heard
  • Ali and Paci were arrested following a police investigation launched in 2017 
  • They were found guilty of slavery offences and jailed for seven years in total

Two men who ran a rat-infested car wash in Cumbria where they paid exploited workers trafficked from Romania just £20-a-week have been jailed for a total of seven years for running a modern slavery ring.

Defrim Paci, 42, and Sitar Ali, 33, preyed on the desperation of trafficked Romanians to earn money before making them work 11 hours a day for six days a week at Shiny Carwash in Carlisle, a court heard.

Their victims travelled to the UK knowing they would be paid £30 a day but when they arrived in the country their IDs were removed and charges were taken from their wages, police said.

Carlisle Crown Court heard some staff were left with £20 to their name following a 66-hour work week, while others were burned from chemicals due to substandard working practices.

It was heard the workers paid to live in squalid conditions in multi-occupancy, rat-infested accommodation. One person even told the court: 'They treated me the same, like they would do with a slave.'

Defrim Paci
Sitar Ali

Defrim Paci (left) and Sitar Ali (right) preyed on the desperation of trafficked Romanians to earn money before making them work 11 hours a day for six days a week at Shiny Carwash in Carlisle, a court heard

It was heard the workers paid to live in squalid conditions in multi-occupancy, rat-infested accommodation. Pictured: the kitchen in the victims' accommodation

It was heard the workers paid to live in squalid conditions in multi-occupancy, rat-infested accommodation. Pictured: the kitchen in the victims' accommodation

Ali, of Carlisle, and Paci, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, were arrested following a police investigation launched in January 2017 when one of the victims told immigration officers what was happening.

A police inquiry was launched which led to searches of premises linked to the suspects and ultimately the identification of other victims. 

Ali and Paci were charged with conspiracy to require others to perform forced or compulsory labour and conspiracy to facilitate travel with a view to exploitation.

Both men, who denied the allegations, were found guilty last week following a seven-week trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Ali was also convicted of possessing criminal property after £16,000 was found in a BMW when he was arrested.

Appearing in the dock on Friday, Ali was jailed for 39 months while Paci was handed a 45 months sentence.

Detective Chief Inspector James Yallop, who led the investigation, said: 'This was a highly organised crime group with a clear purpose to exploit vulnerable people from Romania for their own profit and gain.  

Carlisle Crown Court heard some staff were left with £20 to their name following a 66-hour work week, while others were burned from chemicals due to substandard working practices. Pictured: Shiny Carwash in Carlisle

Carlisle Crown Court heard some staff were left with £20 to their name following a 66-hour work week, while others were burned from chemicals due to substandard working practices. Pictured: Shiny Carwash in Carlisle

'The victims in this case were provided with substandard accommodation and were left with burns due to the conditions they were working in.

'The conditions created by the organised crime group meant the victims were unable to leave; they had their ID cards removed, money was taken from them - they had no freedom or choice. They worked long hours for very little pay. 

'This all happened at a car wash used by many people, with customers unaware of the criminal enterprise they were paying out to.

'Cumbria is a safe and beautiful county to live in - but what this shows is modern slavery can happen anywhere. This is not just an issue for big cities.' 

Alan Richardson of CPS North West said: 'The defendants targeted vulnerable Romanian nationals from poverty-stricken communities and took advantage of those vulnerabilities in order to maximise their profits and increase their own wealth.

'The CPS worked closely with the police to build a strong case, but we couldn't have succeeded in bringing these men to justice without the help and support of the victims. 

'I hope this case will give other victims of exploitation the confidence to come forward.' 

To get help or report modern slavery, call the independent Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or visit www.modernslaveryhelpline.org.

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