Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / ENGLAND
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
UK Contents:  England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales | UK Politics | Education | Magazine

14:37 GMT, Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Human trafficking suspects bailed

Gangmasters Licensing Authority officers look on as workers are interviewed

Eight people arrested in one of the biggest human trafficking crackdowns in the UK have been released on bail while inquiries continue, police said.

The six men and two women were arrested after raids on a field in Lincolnshire and 21 houses in Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and the West Midlands.

Sixty Eastern European workers suspected of being exploited by the gang were being interviewed.

Northamptonshire Police said another man had been released without charge.

The 60 migrant workers were aged 15 to 67. They were taken from the field near Holbeach, South Lincolnshire, to a reception centre in Northamptonshire where police said they were being treated as victims and witnesses.

Major supermarkets

About 200 officers from nine agencies were involved in the raids.

The houses raided were in Kettering, Peterborough, and Coventry.

The six men arrested were all from Kettering. Two were aged 48, two were 22, one was 25 and the sixth was a 50-year-old.

Two women arrested were a 24-year-old from Coventry and a 44-year-old from Kettering.

The operation, dubbed Operation Ruby, involved the East Midlands Foreign National Crime Team, Northamptonshire Police, the UK Human Trafficking Centre, the UK Border Agency, Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

It is believed the food the workers were picking was being sold to some of the country's major supermarket chains.

Detective Superintendent Glyn Timmins, director of investigations at Northamptonshire Police, said efforts would be made to rehouse the migrants and find them legitimate work.



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
Eight held over human trafficking (18 Nov 08 |  Northamptonshire )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Northamptonshire Police
United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre
UK Border Agency
Migrant Helpline
Serious Organised Crime Agency
Gangmasters Licensing Authority
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
UK Contents:  England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales | UK Politics | Education | Magazine

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©