Man arrested for suspected gangmaster offences in Northern Ireland
7th March 2022
A man has been arrested on suspicion of gangmaster offences in Northern Ireland.
Officers from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) were supported by Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) in conducting search warrants at two addresses in Newry on Thursday March 3.
A 40-year-old Lithuanian man was arrested on suspicion of acting as an unlicensed gangmaster.
Intelligence gathered by the GLAA indicated that he was operating a gang of shellfish gatherers to collect periwinkles on a commercial basis along the County Down coastline without a licence.
The suspect was interviewed under caution by the GLAA before being released while a report is prepared for the Public Prosecution Service.
GLAA Senior Investigating Officer Martin Plimmer said: “Supplying workers into the shellfish sector without a GLAA licence is a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
“We will not hesitate to take action with our partners if we have reason to believe that anyone is deliberately flouting our regulations which are there to protect vulnerable workers.”
If you believe someone is acting as a gangmaster without a GLAA licence, call the authority’s intelligence team on 0800 4320804 or email intelligence@gla.gov.uk.