Post by Bonobo on Jun 15, 2017 17:10:29 GMT 1
Sometimes viewers have a dilemma commenting on crimes commited by their compatriots. They don`t like the titles: Polish man did this, Polish woman did that...
E.g., they claim that the slavery work gang described below doesn`t consist of Poles but of representatives of certain ethnic minority living in Poland. The fact they were born in Poland and bear Polish names doesn`t allow to associate them with Poles.
The British article below never mentions the gang members are Polish but such info was provided and even stressed by certain Polish media.
Slavery gang jailed for 32 years for trafficking and exploiting Polish workers
The four men forced their victims to live in appalling conditions and tricked them into low-paid jobs before taking their wages
A slavery gang has been jailed for a total of 32 years after trafficking and exploiting vulnerable Polish workers.
The four men were part of a £1m operation that enticed their victims from their native country to the UK with the promise of well-paid jobs.
But, when they arrived, they were forced to live in appalling living conditions, where they had to scavenge and roam the streets looking for basic furnishings such as mattresses, and were then tricked into low-paid work.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the gang then controlled their victims’ finances by taking their bank cards and wages and leaving them with “pittance” to live on.
Now, the men - Sabastian Mandzik, Seweryn Szymt, Pawel Majewski and Robert Majewski - have been jailed for a total of 32 years after they were found guilty after trial of two counts of conspiring to force people into labour and one of conspiring to conceal criminal property.
Mandzik, described as the “linchpin” of the operation, was also convicted of a further charge of transporting people for exploitation.
Locking them up, Judge Stephen Ashurst said: “Throughout the ages, vulnerable people have been exploited and, despite the efforts of reforms over the country to outlaw slavery, it has not been eradicated and it continues to thrive in various parts of the world.
“Sadly, as this case demonstrated, the exploitation of such people continues in our own country.”
The court heard the operation, described by the judge as a “family business”, ran between June 2014 and September 2016.
During that time, the Polish victims were enticed to the North East with the promise of well-paid jobs where they could earn at least four times their wages in Poland, prosecutors said.
But, when they arrived on Tyneside, the workers were put-up in sub-standard, cramped accommodation, which lacked basic facilities and were known as “tents”, in Ethel Street and Atkinson Road, in Benwell, and Deckham Terrace, in Gateshead.
Speaking to the gang, Judge Ashurst said: “What you did was to create what has been called tents. In other words, large, unfurnished properties, which you either let or sublet from other landlords.
“These were very basic affairs, often without any modern facilities, and there was a body of evidence to show those placed in tents were at a very considerable disadvantage.
“All were required to scavenge for items and there was compelling evidence as to how they had to roam the streets looking for discarded mattresses.”
The victims were then put to work through a legitimate agency picking through litter at recycling plants, where the pay was low and the hours long.
The court heard the gang took control of their victims’ bank accounts and took their wages and used abuse and violence against anyone who resisted.
Prosecutors said that, when the victims complained, they were physically assaulted, spat at or their families were threatened.
Judge Ashurst added: “They [the victims] were taken to get National Insurance numbers, they were taken to banks to open accounts each but all their documentation, and particularly their bank cards, were taken from them and withheld on very strict terms.”
Jobs that were found for the victims were legitimate, the court heard, but they were “menial” and involved standing for up to eight hours a day picking refuse on recycling plants in the North East.
The victims, both men and women, were then left with just “a few pounds a week” to live on as the gang pocketed the rest.
The court was also told the gang used their victims’ bank accounts to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds, although it is still not known where that money has gone,
The police finally became involved when one of the workers reported what had been going on and an investigation was launched.
Now, Mandzik, 40, of Percy Street, Jarrow, has been jailed for 12 years, Szymt, 20, of Percy Street, Jarrow, has been jailed for five years, Pawel Majewski, 28, of Russell Street, Jarrow, has been locked-up for seven years and Robert Majewski, 46, of Ilford Road, London, has been jailed for eight years.
Speaking after the case, Jim Hope, from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Once this group became aware of the police investigation, they made a calculated effort to remove or destroy any evidence linking them to this case. Despite their attempts, the CPS worked closely with police to build a complete picture of the scale and scope of their criminal operations.
“We are pleased with the sentences handed down to these four men today and sincerely hope that, in bringing them to justice, other victims of modern slavery are encouraged to come forward and report their situation to police.”
Det Supt Steve Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “Protecting vulnerable people is my absolute priority and I’m pleased these men have been jailed for exploiting vulnerable people who were coerced into the country on the promise of well-paid work.
“Unfortunately, once here they were forced to live in horrible conditions and carry out work for little or no pay. This investigation has been a genuine multi-agency effort which has helped make the victims of this offending safe and punish those responsible.
“The victims are now in safe locations and are being supported by specialists from partner agencies and our officers.”
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/slavery-gang-jailed-32-years-13114768
They don`t look too Polish, indeed.
Polish source directly describes them as Polish
www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/311873,Three-Poles-jailed-in-Britain-for-people-trafficking
The same dilemma appears in case of citizens of other countries. Polish media reported that a Russian female was deported to her country. However, later it turned out she was only a citizen of Russia, from certain national minority.
E.g., they claim that the slavery work gang described below doesn`t consist of Poles but of representatives of certain ethnic minority living in Poland. The fact they were born in Poland and bear Polish names doesn`t allow to associate them with Poles.
The British article below never mentions the gang members are Polish but such info was provided and even stressed by certain Polish media.
Slavery gang jailed for 32 years for trafficking and exploiting Polish workers
The four men forced their victims to live in appalling conditions and tricked them into low-paid jobs before taking their wages
A slavery gang has been jailed for a total of 32 years after trafficking and exploiting vulnerable Polish workers.
The four men were part of a £1m operation that enticed their victims from their native country to the UK with the promise of well-paid jobs.
But, when they arrived, they were forced to live in appalling living conditions, where they had to scavenge and roam the streets looking for basic furnishings such as mattresses, and were then tricked into low-paid work.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the gang then controlled their victims’ finances by taking their bank cards and wages and leaving them with “pittance” to live on.
Now, the men - Sabastian Mandzik, Seweryn Szymt, Pawel Majewski and Robert Majewski - have been jailed for a total of 32 years after they were found guilty after trial of two counts of conspiring to force people into labour and one of conspiring to conceal criminal property.
Mandzik, described as the “linchpin” of the operation, was also convicted of a further charge of transporting people for exploitation.
Locking them up, Judge Stephen Ashurst said: “Throughout the ages, vulnerable people have been exploited and, despite the efforts of reforms over the country to outlaw slavery, it has not been eradicated and it continues to thrive in various parts of the world.
“Sadly, as this case demonstrated, the exploitation of such people continues in our own country.”
The court heard the operation, described by the judge as a “family business”, ran between June 2014 and September 2016.
During that time, the Polish victims were enticed to the North East with the promise of well-paid jobs where they could earn at least four times their wages in Poland, prosecutors said.
But, when they arrived on Tyneside, the workers were put-up in sub-standard, cramped accommodation, which lacked basic facilities and were known as “tents”, in Ethel Street and Atkinson Road, in Benwell, and Deckham Terrace, in Gateshead.
Speaking to the gang, Judge Ashurst said: “What you did was to create what has been called tents. In other words, large, unfurnished properties, which you either let or sublet from other landlords.
“These were very basic affairs, often without any modern facilities, and there was a body of evidence to show those placed in tents were at a very considerable disadvantage.
“All were required to scavenge for items and there was compelling evidence as to how they had to roam the streets looking for discarded mattresses.”
The victims were then put to work through a legitimate agency picking through litter at recycling plants, where the pay was low and the hours long.
The court heard the gang took control of their victims’ bank accounts and took their wages and used abuse and violence against anyone who resisted.
Prosecutors said that, when the victims complained, they were physically assaulted, spat at or their families were threatened.
Judge Ashurst added: “They [the victims] were taken to get National Insurance numbers, they were taken to banks to open accounts each but all their documentation, and particularly their bank cards, were taken from them and withheld on very strict terms.”
Jobs that were found for the victims were legitimate, the court heard, but they were “menial” and involved standing for up to eight hours a day picking refuse on recycling plants in the North East.
The victims, both men and women, were then left with just “a few pounds a week” to live on as the gang pocketed the rest.
The court was also told the gang used their victims’ bank accounts to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds, although it is still not known where that money has gone,
The police finally became involved when one of the workers reported what had been going on and an investigation was launched.
Now, Mandzik, 40, of Percy Street, Jarrow, has been jailed for 12 years, Szymt, 20, of Percy Street, Jarrow, has been jailed for five years, Pawel Majewski, 28, of Russell Street, Jarrow, has been locked-up for seven years and Robert Majewski, 46, of Ilford Road, London, has been jailed for eight years.
Speaking after the case, Jim Hope, from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Once this group became aware of the police investigation, they made a calculated effort to remove or destroy any evidence linking them to this case. Despite their attempts, the CPS worked closely with police to build a complete picture of the scale and scope of their criminal operations.
“We are pleased with the sentences handed down to these four men today and sincerely hope that, in bringing them to justice, other victims of modern slavery are encouraged to come forward and report their situation to police.”
Det Supt Steve Barron, of Northumbria Police, said: “Protecting vulnerable people is my absolute priority and I’m pleased these men have been jailed for exploiting vulnerable people who were coerced into the country on the promise of well-paid work.
“Unfortunately, once here they were forced to live in horrible conditions and carry out work for little or no pay. This investigation has been a genuine multi-agency effort which has helped make the victims of this offending safe and punish those responsible.
“The victims are now in safe locations and are being supported by specialists from partner agencies and our officers.”
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/slavery-gang-jailed-32-years-13114768
They don`t look too Polish, indeed.
Polish source directly describes them as Polish
www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/311873,Three-Poles-jailed-in-Britain-for-people-trafficking
The same dilemma appears in case of citizens of other countries. Polish media reported that a Russian female was deported to her country. However, later it turned out she was only a citizen of Russia, from certain national minority.