Polish nationals charged over modern slavery after group 'trafficked from homeland'
A group of Polish nationals living in the West Midlands have appeared in court charged over modern slavery - after more than 80 people were allegedly trafficked from their home country.
It is claimed the workers were exploited with bank accounts in their names controlled and wages stolen after they arrived from Poland since 2014.
Those accused had been living across the Black Country, Birmingham and Worcestershire including West Bromwich and Walsall.
Six men and three women were charged after a West Midlands Police investigation into human trafficking.
All nine have been charged with conspiracy to force people into labour, conspiracy to traffic people with a view to exploitation, and conspiracy to acquire criminal property.
They appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on November 6 and 7.
They were remanded into custody ahead of their next appearance at Birmingham Crown Court on December 5.
Among those charged are Justyna Parcewska, aged 47, from Beechwood Road, in West Bromwich, who is originally from Wloclawek in Poland.
Also charged is Marek Brzezinski, 48, from Lindley Avenue, Tipton, and Dawid Kasperowicz, 27, from Waterside Street, West Bromwich, who is originally from Opoczno.
Natalia Zmuda, 27, from Canute Close, Walsall, and originally from Debca, also appeared in court along with Julianna Chodakiewicz, 22, from Saxonbury, Evesham, who came to England from Grueziadz.
Marek Chowaniec, 29, from Mount Street, Walsall, and originally from Warsaw, 26-year-old Jan Sadowski, from Dartmouth Street, West Bromwich, Ignacy Brzezinski, 52, from Beechwood Road, West Bromwich, and Wojciech Nowakowski, 41, from James Turner Street, in Winson Green, who came from Bydgoszcz, in Poland, also face charges.
The charges came after it emerged that more than 700 survivors of modern slavery have received support in the West Midlands over the past six years.
A report shows hundreds of victims were referred to The Salvation Army for help.
The charity claimed the number of people forced into labour, prostitution and domestic servitude has soared across the UK.
Charity leaders are now urging residents to be alert to modern slavery taking place within their communities The Salvation Army says victims had been trafficked into the West Midlands from 95 different countries over the past year, compared to just 43 in 2011, including Albania, Vietnam, Nigeria and the Philippines.
