A group of individuals who forced Uzbek nationals into working at agricultural enterprises has been detained in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General's Office said.
According to police, the scheme was orchestrated by a 51-year-old Chinese citizen with a temporary residence permit in Ukraine. He was assisted by two other Chinese citizens, a Thai citizen, and five Ukrainians. The prosecutor's office stated that an Uzbek citizen was also among those detained.
According to the police, the detainees, through accomplices abroad, found 13 Uzbek nationals, aged 22 to 42, offering them high wages. After arriving in Ukraine, their passports were seized and they were illegally detained, forced to work at two agricultural enterprises in the Kyiv region. The victims' working and living conditions were reportedly "extremely humiliating," and their movement was strictly restricted.
Law enforcement agencies have opened a criminal case under the Human trafficking charge of the Ukrainian Criminal Code. The maximum penalty for this crime is up to 12 years in prison. The search by the police found 3 million hryvnias cash, five cars, bank cards, and Uzbek passports, which were seized from the detainees.
The victims are receiving assistance from the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine and the National Social Service of Ukraine, the police concluded.
