“Operation Fratello took place in the areas of Alcácer do Sal and Beja and led to the identification of 15 citizens of foreign nationality from Eastern Europe, who lived, for the most part, in degrading conditions regarding conditions of work, accommodation and health.


“The citizens are victims of labour exploitation, most of them male and have been properly flagged up as victims of human trafficking. All necessary support has been made available,” said SEF.

In a statement, SEF stated that the operation involved “three home search warrants and six search warrants”.


According to the police, members of the Victim Support Network of the Alentejo were also present during the operation, “in order to guarantee the adequate treatment of the citizens involved”.


The SEF statement added that the two detainees are brothers “from Eastern Europe”, and that “they recruited workers from their countries of origin with the promise of better living conditions.”


“When in Portugal, the victims were then exploited on agricultural estates. Many of them ended up being deprived of any wages and physical violence was used against them,” the document said.


SEF added that “during the search, various evidence of criminal activity, including money, mobile phones and laptops, were found and seized as well as 11,000 handmade cigarettes grouped in packs of 20, which were sold to workers with their value being deducted from wages.”


The investigation by SEF came about following a complaint and has already resulted in five other victims of human trafficking being identified and placed into safe houses.

Author

Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920

Daisy Sampson