Eight modern day slavery victims rescued on Cambs farm

The victims' belongings (Photo Cambridgeshire Police/ERSOU)
The victims' belongings (Photo Cambridgeshire Police/ERSOU)

Eight suspected modern day slavery victims have been rescued in a raid on a Cambridgeshire farm.

A multi-agency operation was carried out in Cambridgeshire on Friday (7 September).

The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) carried out a warrant at a farm business premises in Old North Road, Kneesworth in conjunction with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

Eight people were found at the farm and were taken to a centre where they received safeguarding support.

They are believed to have worked at the premises for little or no money, living on-site in cramped and poor conditions.

No-one has been arrested in connection with the investigation at this stage, however enquiries remain ongoing.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Davies from ERSOU said: “Modern day slavery can come in many forms and is happening in plain sight across the country every single day.

“Protecting vulnerable victims from any type of exploitation is always at the heart of what we do, and we will continue to work alongside our partners to keep people safe across the eastern region.”

Chris Hogben, head of the NCA’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unit said: “Tackling the threat of modern slavery and human trafficking, including the safeguarding of the vulnerable, remains a priority for UK law enforcement and multi-agency operations such as this are key to improving our intelligence picture.