Three arrested in Luton on suspicion of modern slavery

Three people have been arrested in Luton after police found more than 40 suspected victims of modern slavery in a major crackdown.

A man and woman in their 50s and a man in his 30s, all from Luton, were arrested on December 20 following an investigation around allegations of people being brought into the UK from Africa and forced to work for less than the minimum wage. They have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

More than 40 potential victims came forward after police set up a reception centre as part of the operation.

A day later, more than 20 people were found in the back of a lorry at the Toddington Services off the M1. Nobody was injured and the people were passed onto immigration services.

Detective Inspector Katy Watts, from Bedfordshire Police, said: “Modern slavery and human trafficking are among the most vile and abhorrent crimes imaginable.

“This is not some distant problem. It is a problem that is happening right here in our communities – and I would encourage people to be alert to these issues.

“Anyone can be vulnerable to exploitation in a multitude of ways. While both these cases involved trafficking of people from overseas, this is just one aspect of potential vulnerability to exploitation.

“If you think something isn’t right and someone could be at risk of exploitation, please tell us so we can do our best to protect them.”

Visit bavex.co.uk to find out more about different forms of exploitation and the signs to spot.