Four individuals in Kyiv have been notified of suspicion for organizing a labor exploitation scheme where people, under the guise of employment and housing, were forced to work for free in a woodworking shop. According to the investigation, the victims were held in substandard conditions and their freedom was restricted. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, according to UNN.
Under the procedural guidance of the Darnytsia District Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv, four individuals have been notified of suspicion for effectively holding people in labor slavery under the guise of employment and housing provision,
According to the investigation, the suspects organized a woodworking shop where they brought people from Kyiv through deception. Victims were sought out near the capital's railway stations among the unemployed, homeless, and other socially vulnerable citizens, with promises of work, housing, and food.
In reality, the individuals worked in the shop for free and lived in unfit conditions, while the organizers of the scheme received the profits from the sale of timber. Victims were placed in artificial debt bondage, had their documents confiscated, were forbidden from leaving the territory, and had their contacts with the outside world restricted. To suppress resistance, they were systematically plied with alcohol.
Each of the suspects performed a specific role: searching for people, transporting them to the workplace, or supervising them directly at the shop. For attempts to escape or disobedience, the victims were beaten.
Currently, 11 people have been identified who were forced to work for free and were held in substandard conditions. The investigation is identifying other possible victims.
Four individuals have been notified of suspicion of human trafficking (Part 2 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The court has ordered preventive measures in the form of detention with an alternative of bail ranging from 200,000 to 800,000 UAH.