Passports Taken, Bus Driving Forced. Criminal Group Uncovered in Poland, Belarusians Among Victims
A Polish company hired drivers from abroad to work on city buses. However, foreigners then had their passports taken, were not paid part of their wages, and were misled about medical insurance. There are Belarusians among the victims, Most writes with reference to Wyborcza.
Illustrative photo by Marcin Jakowiak / UM Bialystok
According to the prosecutor's office, forced labor was used by a company from Bytom that operates about 50 bus routes in the Upper Silesian agglomeration: in Katowice, Gliwice, Mikołów, Sosnowiec, Tychy, Zabrze, Chorzów, and Dąbrowa Górnicza.
Drivers from Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Ukraine, and Belarus were forced to drive buses and were misled about the duration and conditions of work, as well as medical care. Drivers worked 300-350 hours per month, with a record work duration reaching 450 hours per month.
Katarzyna Cełuła-Jaszewska from the National Public Prosecutor's Office of Poland told Wyborcza that foreign drivers had their passports and other documents confiscated, and were not paid their wages. Because of this, they could not return home or change jobs.
The prosecutor's office has already identified 15 victims, but interrogations are ongoing.
Recruiting people using border guard databases
Charges of participation in an organized criminal group profiting from human trafficking, as well as facilitating the illegal stay of foreigners on Polish territory, have been brought against seven individuals. Among them were the company owners, spouses Krzysztof and Barbara P.
Two Border Guard officers were involved in the criminal activity, one of whom is Krzysztof and Barbara P.'s son-in-law. The border guards, having access to databases, found out which foreigners were trying to obtain work permits in Poland. This data was used for recruiting drivers.
Three Georgian citizens are also accused in the case.
The court decided to arrest Barbara P. and her son-in-law. The remaining accused are at large on bail ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 zlotys (up to 12,000 euros). The accused border guards have been suspended from duty.
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