Hewa Margai, a 45-year-old British man from London, has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for trafficking and exploiting eight Romanian citizens, including a 15-year-old boy.
The sentence was pronounced at Kingston Crown Court, following an investigation by the Modern Slavery Unit of the Metropolitan Police that spanned over five years, as reported by The Standard.
Lured with false promises, turned into slaves
Between November and December 2020, Margai brought the eight Romanians to the UK, promising them accommodation, food, fair wages, and legal employment. In reality, the victims were forced to work at his car wash in a London neighborhood and were housed in an unhealthy shack nearby.
Judge Mark Milliken-Smith KC stated that Margai "put profit before any form of humanity," and the confiscation of their identity documents placed the Romanians in a state of "effective captivity."
Physically and mentally abused
The victims told the police - communicating through Google Translate, as they spoke very little English - that they had only worked for a few weeks before the car wash was closed due to COVID restrictions. After the closure, Margai continued to force them to pay rent for the cramped shack they were living in.
According to investigators, the eight Romanians were deprived of fundamental rights, subjected to physical, mental, and psychological abuses, and kept without access to identity documents. During the lockdown period, they were practically held captive in the shack.
15-year-old boy raised the alarm
On February 1, 2021, the 15-year-old boy managed to alert the police. He recounted being lured to the UK with the promise of a job and how the manager immediately confiscated his identity document upon arrival.
Upon arrival, the police found two 20-year-old women, five men aged between 18 and 30, and the 15-year-old minor - all living for months in a room that was "cold, damp, and with a heavy smell."
One of the women ended up in the hospital with a severe infection and required multiple surgeries. Doctors determined that the health issues were a direct result of neglect and poor living conditions.
Police: "The trauma of the victims cannot be underestimated"
At the time of the raid, Margai was out of the country and was arrested upon his return to the UK on March 12, 2021.
"The trauma and ordeal that the victims have gone through cannot be underestimated. The eight have shown remarkable strength and played an essential role in providing the evidence that led to Margai's conviction," said Chief Inspector Mike Stubbins.
Stubbins thanked the team that handled the case and emphasized the swift intervention of the police officers who were the first to arrive on the scene: "By directly engaging with the victims, they managed to obtain vital information and immediately ensure the protection of the group."
Repatriated to Romania
All eight victims were repatriated to Romania with the support of the Metropolitan Police and the International Justice Mission organization.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed on Hewa Margai a 10-year slavery and human trafficking prevention order, which restricts his activities and interactions with vulnerable individuals to prevent further trafficking and exploitation crimes.
G.P.