Two men convicted for exploiting migrant workers in Fenland

Two men have been convicted of exploiting migrant workers by acting as unlicensed gangmasters in Fenland.

Latvians Juris Valujevs and Ivars Mezals were found guilty of acting as unlicensed gangmasters yesterday (December 17) following a nine-week trial at Blackfriars Crown Court in London.

During the trial the court heard that Valujevs, 36, of Turbus Road, Kings Lynn, and Ivars Mezals, 28, previously of Conference Way, Wisbech, were ‘business partners’, supplying a number of companies with migrant workers from the Latvian and Lithuanian communities between 2009 and 2013.

These workers told the court how they were promised plentiful and well-paid employment. In reality, they were rarely given work straight away and then work was tightly controlled, placing and keeping them in a state of ‘debt bondage’.

When they were found work, Valujevs and Mezals would intercept their wages and make unwarranted deductions for rent, debt, transport and fines, in some cases leaving them with £20 or less a week to live on.

The court heard how a female witness was told by Valujevs that she would “end up like Alisa”, which she took to be a reference to a woman whose body was found on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk in January 2012.

A further female witness told the court how Mezals had suggested paying back debt by selling her organs because she did not drink or smoke.

Valujevs and Mezals, together with Lauma Vankova , 26, of Cresswell Road, Kings Lynn, and Oksana Valujeva, 34, of Turbus Road, Kings Lynn, were also charged with conspiracy to facilitate the commission of breaches of UK immigration law by a non-EU person, in relation to what is more commonly referred to as ‘sham marriages’.

Mezals was found not guilty on this charge while the jury failed to reach verdicts on the other defendants.

Valujevs and Mezals are due to be sentenced tomorrow afternoon (December 19).

Det Chief Insp Donna Wass, who led the investigation, said: “Valujevs and Mezals ran an illegal operation that left many people in abject poverty and debt and a feeling there was no way out of their situation.

“The defendants promised their victims a better life in the United Kingdom with well-paid work, but instead placed them in over-crowded accommodation and controlled their work and debt.

“They ruled through fear - playing on their reputations to ensure their workers stayed in line and did not seek outside help - and approached the exploitation of people as a business opportunity.

“I hope the outcome of this case shows how seriously we take these matters and will encourage other victims of exploitation to contact police.”

Gangmaster Licensing Agency chief executive Paul Broadbent has welcomed the verdict.

He said:”It is pleasing that the defendants in this case have been exposed as modern-day slave drivers and will now face punishment for their heinous crime. This investigation also shows how effectively different organisations with different remits can come together with the over-arching objective of protecting vulnerable people.

“This case opened up other abuses in the supply chain which have since been dealt with. More than 80 exploited workers were rescued, five licences have been revoked and another refused by the GLA. One revoked licence holder has been convicted of using the services of an illegal gangmaster and received a suspended prison term and a community sentence.

“I am also very grateful to the general public, as they are our eyes and ears, helping us to identify and work with other partners to tackle what is clearly taking place within our communities.”