True extent of ‘modern slavery’ probe revealed

another person with a view of exploitation.

A man, 57, from Vietnam who was charged in Leeds with kidnapping or false imprisonment with the intention of committing a human trafficking offence.

A woman, 52, from Vietnam who was charged in Leeds with kidnapping or false imprisonment with the intention of committing a human trafficking offence.

Asked about the relatively low number of charges brought under the Act, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Investigations can be extremely lengthy and can take months, if not years.”

In Kirklees, those arrested have come from Iraq, Poland, Hungary, Vietnam, Libya, as well as the UK, and have been suspected of various offences including making a person perform forced labour, kidnapping with the intention of committing human trafficking and ‘holding a person in slavery or servitude.’ Those arrested in Kirklees range in age from 21 to 61 and include women as well as men.

A force spokesman said: “Safeguarding Units and Crime Investigation Teams at each of the five policing areas have been trained in this area of work and conduct district-level investigations.

“However, from additional funding made available by the Police and Crime Commissioner, a dedicated Human Trafficking Team has been created who predominantly deal with human trafficking on an organised crime level but they also provide support to the district teams to ensure best practice is disseminated, consistent approaches are taken and that intelligence is properly collated and acted upon.”

In August Kirklees police carried out an operation to tackle human trafficking and organised crime. Officers visited several addresses in Huddersfield and Batley to gain intelligence, as well as raising awareness about human trafficking.

If you suspect trafficking, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700, or visit the www.modernslaveryhelpline.org