GLAA obtains court order to safeguard against modern slavery

A man and woman suspected of modern slavery and human trafficking offences have had a number of strict conditions imposed on them by court.

Mansfield Magistrates’ Court approved the application by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) for an interim Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order (STRO) against Romanian nationals Dragos Istrate and Denisa Hoamea.

Istrate, 25, and Hoamea, 22, both of Carter Lane, Mansfield, must now follow the conditions set out in the STRO or face criminal prosecution for any breaches.

Conditions approved by the court on Friday February 12 mean that the pair have been ordered not to threaten or intimidate vulnerable people or witnesses.

Istrate and Hoamea must not arrange travel or transport into or within the UK for anyone other than their immediate family, including for work.

They are also prevented from arranging or helping to find employment for anyone other than themselves, and renting or sub-letting any accommodation to anyone other than their immediate family.

Both must inform the GLAA of any change of address and allow access for officers to check that the order is being complied with.

They must equally not engage or coerce anyone else into carrying out any of the instructions listed above on their behalf.

The order is in place until a trial for the full STRO is held later in the year.

GLAA Senior Investigating Officer Dave Powell said: “This is the second live investigation where we have active STROs, and they have so far proven to be an effective tool in reducing the risk of labour exploitation.

“With this latest outcome, we now have a total of five people under STRO restrictions which is testament to the determination from our officers to protect vulnerable workers.

“Through our enforcement activity with Nottinghamshire Police, we believed that both defendants could potentially commit slavery or human trafficking offences, and that the granting of the order was crucial in protecting the public from any possible harm.

“We expect full co-operation with the order and will not hesitate to take further action with our partners if we identify any breaches. Investigations are ongoing and we will continue to do all we can to keep our communities free from slavery and exploitation.”

Detective Sergeant Chris Whitt from Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated Modern Slavery team said: “This is the second time a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order has been granted in Nottinghamshire and we are pleased to have assisted the GLAA with their investigation to secure the order.

"The work shows our commitment as a partnership to use all available legislation under the Modern Slavery Act to protect the vulnerable in society.

"As a partnership in law enforcement, the GLAA and the force will actively police the order that will place prohibitions on the two persons concerned.

"To get a STRO granted is fantastic work and it's taken months of hard work to get to this result.

"The court found that both had acted in a way that there is a risk of committing a slavery or trafficking offence and this order is necessary to protect the public.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our service to the public and identifying victims of modern slavery to provide them with the care and protection is an area where we are seeing some positive outcomes.

"We work closely with partners and our colleagues to share information and support potential victims."

Breaching the order is a criminal offence carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

If you believe someone is a victim of forced labour or other labour exploitation, contact the GLAA’s intelligence team on 0800 4320804 or by emailing intelligence@gla.gov.uk.

Alternatively, call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.