Modern slavery operations prompt call for awareness

Police have called on communities to be aware of modern slavery and exploitation after launching two major operations in the space of a week.

We have made three arrests and identified dozens of suspected exploitation victims during an operation targeting labour exploitation on Wednesday 20 December.

The operation in Luton saw three people arrested on suspicion of modern slavery.

The investigation centred on allegations of people being brought into the UK from Africa under false promises and then forced to work for less than the minimum wage.

A reception centre set up on the day saw almost 40 potential victims come forward.

The suspects – a man and a woman in their 50s and a man in his 30s, all from Luton – have been released on bail, pending further enquiries.

The following day (Thursday 21 December) more than 20 people were discovered in the back of a lorry at the Toddington Services off the M1.

No one was injured and a full emergency services response saw the people found in the lorry passed to immigration services.

Bedfordshire is consistently among the highest areas in the country for potential victims of modern slavery being identified and referred into the national referral mechanism.

Detective Inspector Katy Watts said: “Modern slavery and human trafficking are among the most vile and abhorrent crimes imaginable.

“This is not some distant problem. It is a problem that is happening right here in our communities – and I would encourage people to be alert to these issues.

“Anyone can be vulnerable to exploitation in a multitude of ways. While both these cases involved trafficking of people from overseas, this is just one aspect of potential vulnerability to exploitation.

“If you think something isn’t right and someone could be at risk of exploitation, please tell us so we can do our best to protect them.”

For further information about different forms of exploitation and the signs to spot, visit the Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation (BAVEX) website.