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Takeaway owner jailed for enslaving homeless alcoholics and drug addicts in 'despicable' crimes

Harjit Singh Bariana made victims clean sewage pipes by hand, court hears

Home Affairs Correspondent

Monday 18 June 2018 20:25 BST

Harjit Bariana was jailed for eight-and-a-half years for modern slavery offences (PA)

A chip shop owner who enslaved homeless alcoholics and drug addicts has been jailed for his “despicable” crimes.

Harjit Singh Bariana made his victims work for up to 13 hours a day at his businesses in Blyth, Northumberland, in return for food, drink and shelter.

He has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after being found guilty of six modern slavery offences, and handed an indefinite Slavery and Trafficking Prevention and Risk Order to restrict his activities when he is freed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 46-year-old targeted vulnerable men, took all their housing benefit as payment for “accommodation” and forced them to work.

Those who refused were faced with violence and intimidation, police said, forcing them to live in squalid conditions and work in their bare feet on tasks including cleaning sewage pipes by hand.

It was not until police raided a property linked to anti-social behaviour and drug use that Bariana’s offences were uncovered.

“They found a number of men living in horrendous conditions who were initially too terrified to speak about their ordeal,” a spokesperson for Northumbria Police said.

Bariana initially claimed his tenants were lying but was arrested and charged with eight offences under the Modern Day Slavery Act.

Judge Sarah Mallett told him: “This was, in my view, commercial exploitation.

Modern Slavery in the UK

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1/13Modern Slavery in the UK

Modern Slavery in the UK

NCA has launched a touring photographic exhibition which aims to portray the signs of slavery and exploitation. Entitled ‘Invisible People’, the exhibition will tour the country as part of the National Crime Agency’s campaign to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Child trafficking

Child trafficking for sexual exploitation Traffickers use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community. The children are recruited, transported and then sold for sex, often returning to their homes immediately afterwards, only to be picked up by the same people again. This is happening here in the UK, to migrant and British-born children. Spot the signs of child trafficking: Often, children won’t be sure which country, city or town they’re in. They may be orphaned or living apart from their family, in unregulated private foster care, or in substandard accommodation. They may possess unaccounted-for money or goods or repeatedly have new, unexplained injuries.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Agriculture

Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, they’re enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often don’t have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and don’t have a different change of clothes from day-to-day.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Food processing

Polish or Slovakian men are brought to the UK with the offer of employment and, after arrival, gangmasters seize documents, opening multiple bank and utility accounts in their names – but refuse to handover access to the accounts or bank cards. Hours are long and the work is gruelling and dangerous. Workers are abused and are controlled by threats of harm to their families at home. Spot the signs: Those exploited wear inappropriate clothes and often no safety gear – despite working with dangerous and life-threatening equipment. They may often have untreated injuries and be refused medical attention, and will live and work in agricultural outhouses.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Construction

Labour-intensive sectors like construction, where temporary and irregular work are common, are high-risk sectors for forced labour. With new homes, offices and buildings being constructed or upgraded in great quantity, labour exploitation is the second most common type of modern slavery, after sexual exploitation. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in construction: Exploited workers are often not provided with protective clothing or equipment, and may show signs of abuse or carry old untreated injuries. Slave workers are also likely to work extremely long work hours for six or seven days a week without any leave. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “I wanted this image to communicate that despite being forced to live, eat, wash and sleep – where they’re working, in cramped and unhygienic conditions, that there is a human instinct to domesticate. I wanted to show how there is still hope and dignity in the most squalid and difficult of circumstances.”

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Maritime

In the tough maritime industry young men, often Filipino or Indian, Eastern European or African, are promised a better life, but instead find themselves in a cycle of debt and exploitation. Unable to read, they are offered a job, given papers to sign and begin working on a trial-basis, only to be told they have failed and owe money, and have to work more to settle the debt. They may be forced to work for long hours in intense, hazardous and difficult conditions. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “In the 80s, Chris Killip published a series of images called In Flagrante, and these images were at the forefront of my mind while composing this shot. I wanted to show the utter desperation of these men - how passed their limit they are. The broken floats and the entire decaying environment around him, I saw as a metaphor for his existence.”

Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Forced prostitution

Each year, women from across Eastern Europe and West Africa are lured to the UK by the dream of a better life. Whether by fake migration services or unscrupulous individuals who befriend and then betray them, women fall into a dark spiral of sexual exploitation and forced, unpaid prostitution, unable to escape. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “What I really wanted for this image, was to depict how women are used as commodities, the complete control slavery has over them – the helplessness of having to sit and wait for man after man, until no more men arrive. I wanted the image to show how lonely and eventually numbing that experience is, and for that ugliness to be contrasted against the bright blue of the wig – a fancy dress item that we would usually associate with a fun event – but here is used as a disguise, perhaps of her own identity to herself - to further emphasise how unjust the situation is.”

NCA

Modern Slavery in the UK

Cannabis farming

The cannabis industry hides a dark secret in the house next door. Gangs bring young boys to the UK from countries like Vietnam and deliver them to a house where, once in, they won’t be able to leave. Forced to tend cannabis plants that fill specially rigged houses, the boys are often locked in and forced to work, sleep and eat in one confined and dirty room. The chemicals used on the cannabis are poisonous, and often victims don’t know where they are or how to get help if they do escape. The eyes, ears and compassion of the local community are essential. Spot the signs: Aside from the strong and prolonged smell of cannabis, have you noticed a house that looks unusual? Are the windows covered or usual entry points blocked? Buildings might be over-heated – in very cold weather is the roof without frost, because the house is being kept warm to grow plants

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Agriculture

Some workers in the farming sector, harvesting grains or root vegetables, tending livestock or fruit picking, are being exploited every day in the UK. Victims of this crime in the agricultural sector are often Eastern European men and women, who were promised a job by traffickers, or they could be individuals on the fringes of society, homeless or destitute. Through threats, violence, coercion or forced drug and alcohol dependency, they’re enslaved, working for little or no money, living in squalid conditions having had their identity documents taken from them. Spot the signs of exploitative labour in agriculture: Agricultural slaves often have their wages paid into the same bank account, meaning an illegal gangmaster is likely collecting all their wages. Exploited agriculture workers often don’t have suitable protective equipment, working instead in cheap sports clothing and trainers, and don’t have a different change of clothes from day-to-day

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Forced prostitution

Spot the signs of forced prostitution: Victims of this type of crime might appear withdrawn or scared, avoid eye contact, and be untrusting. Poor English language skills could indicate exploitation because it suggests someone else must be arranging the work. A brothel is likely to be an average house on a normal looking street, but may have curtains which are usually closed and many different men coming and going frequently.

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Maritime

Spot the signs of exploitative labour in the maritime sector: Victims might appear withdrawn or frightened, often unable to answer questions directed at them or speak for themselves,. They might be afraid of authorities like police, immigration or the tax office, and may perceive themselves to be in debt to someone else. They may not have been given proper protective equipment so can suffer illness or injury. Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “Throughout the series of images, I wanted to juxtapose the harshness of the lives of slaves against bright primary colours – colours we traditionally associate with happiness or a feeling of wellbeing – to provoke a reaction. The image, as rich as it is, communicates how completely uncomfortable this person is. I wanted to show how his body is not his own, and how he has no right to avoid hardship, avoid the ice, or wear better shoes, he is utterly controlled.”

Rory Carnegie/National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

Food processing

Photographer Rory Carnegie, said: “This image communicates utter exhaustion and dejection. We can see how dire his situation is. He has no protective gear on, and we can see the extreme tiredness that leads him to a place of anxiety and distraction, where he doesn’t care about whether he’s operating machinery safely, or putting himself at risk.”

National Crime Agency

Modern Slavery in the UK

The exhibition comprises a series of large, freestanding cubes displaying images capturing snapshots of life within different types of modern slavery - in agriculture, construction, maritime, cannabis farming and food processing, child trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced prostitution. Each image comes with written commentary describing what the viewer is seeing, and information about signs which may indicate someone is a victim.

National Crime Agency

”Your business model was largely predicated on free labour and the most minimal expenditure into your business to extract the maximum profit.“

Bariana, who had previous convictions for dishonesty, illegal money lending, selling counterfeit goods and making threats, ran takeaways and rented rooms in multi-occupancy homes to people at risk of becoming homeless.

Victims feared losing shelter if they did not comply with his demands and one man had his shoes, belt and watch removed to stop him from going missing and avoiding work.

One alcoholic, who had just been released from prison, was paid in alcohol and Diazepam tablets for five months of work in one of Bariana’s takeaways.

Another victim told his probation officer he was being forced to work 10 hours a day for no pay, and was given food and soft drinks instead.

Judge Mallett said there was bullying, threats, slaps and violence which included causing one person to fall down the stairs.

She added: ”You exploited their vulnerability by way of addiction, you fed and encouraged their addiction to alcohol and, on occasions, drugs.“

Bariana, of Blue House Farm in Netherton, was charged with eight counts of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between 2009 and 2015.

He found guilty by a jury of six of those offences following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in May, and convicted of being concerned in the supply of Diazepam.

Bariana was found not guilty of two of the forced labour charges and also acquitted on a single count of robbery.

Chief Inspector Helena Barron said Bariana was “a despicable man who preyed on vulnerable victims for his own gain”.

Police warn modern slaves 'staffing nail bars across UK' as Vietnamese gang jailed in landmark case

“He relied on the fact that his victims were homeless with addictions to keep them under his control,” she added.

“If they did not work then they feared they would lose their home and be unable to feed their addictions.

“Previous slavery cases have highlighted the trafficking of vulnerable victims from abroad to work in this country. However, in this case all of the victims were white British men – which challenges people’s perception of this type of crime and highlights the fact anyone could find themselves subject to such offences.

“Our message is that if something doesn’t look right then it probably isn’t right and we would encourage people to contact the police.”

One of Bariana’s victims said: “I am so happy that the police listened to us and believed what we said.”

The number of suspected modern slaves in the UK has reached a record-high, with more than 5,000 people flagged to a national referral scheme last year.

The National Crime Agency said British people had become the largest exploited group for the first time following a change in the way police classify young people used to run drugs by “county lines” gangs.

Albanian and Vietnamese nationals are also among the most-reported, with labour exploitation, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude accounting for most cases.

Victims have been found in a range of legal and illegal trades in the UK, including Vietnamese nail bars, cannabis farming, prostitution, flower-picking and at hand car washes.

Liam Vernon, a senior manager in the NCA’s modern slavery and human trafficking unit, warned that the crime was still being under-reported earlier this year.

“The reality is that there isn’t a region in the UK that isn’t affected,” he told The Independent.

Additional reporting by PA