Dozens of children and adults have been exploited in Hungary by an organized human trafficking network.
For 10 years, dozens of vulnerable individuals, including children from placement centers in Romania, were forced to work in the neighboring country under conditions „at the limit of physical and mental endurance” – even up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Five men and one woman from Covasna County were detained by Hungarian authorities, along with another man who operated exclusively on Hungarian territory.
Prosecutors stated on Friday that on November 12, three home searches were conducted in the localities of Ozun and Chilieni, Covasna County, in a case of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, and trafficking of minors. Investigations revealed that, starting in 2013, five men and one woman, who were related, formed an organized criminal group to profit from exploiting multiple victims, both adults and minors, through labor in Hungary.
"The members of the organized crime group recruited vulnerable individuals with difficult financial situations and unstable family relationships to avoid the risk of being sought by relatives.
Thus, the preferred victims of the perpetrators were those from placement centers, who, through false promises of a monthly salary of 80,000-100,000 forints, accommodation, meals, an 8-hour workday, 5 or 6 days a week at a company in Hungary, were easily convinced and exploited," reported the Prosecutor's Office.
The victims were taken to Hungary by a married couple who, upon arrival, seized their identity documents to restrict their freedom of movement.
Subsequently, the victims were accommodated either in an inadequate building with 20-25 other people, in a wooden shack without furniture, or in the basement of a residence, from where they were transported to a household waste processing plant in another locality and forced to work.
The victims were coerced, including through violence, to work "at the limit of physical and mental endurance," between 12, 18 hours, and even 24 hours, 7 days a week, and endure an "inhuman lifestyle," being constantly monitored during work.
Moreover, the exploited Romanians faced food shortages, minimal living conditions, denial of medical assistance, and were obliged to perform household chores after work hours.
The proceeds from the criminal activities were almost entirely appropriated by the members of the group.
During the searches in the two states, sums of 49,150,000 forints, 5,990 euros, approximately 350 grams of jewelry, two cars, documents, two pistols, as well as other pieces of evidence were identified and seized.
In Hungary, over 20 more individuals, possibly victims of human trafficking, were identified.