‘Modern day slaves’ gang jailed 24 years
Gang’s ‘deliberate degrading of humans’
CRIME: Members of an organised crime group who trafficked “modern day slaves” have been locked up for 24 years. A judge said they were responsible for the “deliberate degrading of human beings.”
MEMBERS OF an organised crime group who trafficked “modern day slaves” from Slovakia to Leeds have been locked up for more than 24 years.
A judge told two families they were responsible for crimes which involved the “deliberate degrading of human beings.” An investigation by West Yorkshire Police’s Human Trafficking Unit discovered that the group would often target single and vulnerable men in extreme poverty and promise them a better life or use threats to bring them to the UK.
They also trafficked families with young children. Jurors found eight defendants guilty of offences relating to some 37 victims.
Victims were predominantly made to work for Aurangzeb Naseem’s company Complete Conversions, which is based in Hyde Park, Leeds. Once the victims were in the UK the group would exploit them – housing them in often sub-standard accommodation and arranging the victims’ housing benefits to be paid to the group.
The group would also set up bank accounts in the victims’ names but would then take all or some control of these before getting them to sign on to any other benefits available to them.
Sentencing the six men and two women, Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said: “There can be no greater humiliation to one’s dignity than an able-bodied person working hard – all the hours God sends – and still not being able to provide for their children.”
Victims were paid as little as £5 per day while converting two of the defendants’ rental properties. They also performed work on the defendants’ homes while being paid nothing - “appreciating the value” of these properties.
The gang was brought to justice after a police raid on properties in Armley in 2013. Eight defendants were found guilty at Leeds Crown Court and sentenced to a total of 24 years, three months. They were: Frantisek Cisar, 37, of Bradford was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel to the UK for exploitation and six counts of arranging travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. He was jailed for nine years. Bohuslava Cisarova, 33, of Bradford was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to arrange travel to the UK and two counts of arranging or facilitating the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. She was jailed for three years. Arpad Jano, 41, of Bradford, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to arrange travel to the UK for exploitation and three counts of arranging the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. He was jailed for four and a half years. Bohuslava Cisarova, 60, of Bradford, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to arrange travel to the United Kingdom for exploitation and one count of arranging the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. She was jailed for two years. Jan Cisar, 62, of Bradford, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to arrange travel to the United Kingdom for exploitation and one of arranging the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. He was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years. Marcel Cisar, 34, of Bradford, was found guilty of one count of arranging the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation and two counts of arranging of facilitating the travel to the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. He was jailed for 15 months. Aurangzeb Naseem,43, of Leeds was found guilty of three counts of arranging the travel within the UK of another for exploitation. He was jailed for three and a half years. Mohammed Naseem, 59, of Leeds, was found guilty of three counts of arranging the travel within the United Kingdom of another for exploitation. He was jailed for 18 months.
There can be no greater humiliation to one’s dignity. Judge Mushtaq Khokhar on the traffickers’ crimes.