Men threatened to kill trafficking victim - court
The victim gave evidence at Nottingham Crown Court
- Published
A man who was trafficked from Greece to work on cannabis farms has told a court his captors had demanded money from his family or "they would kill" him.
Prosecutors at Nottingham Crown Court have previously said the man had been brought to the UK to work at sites across Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
Brothers Sokol Rranci, 28, and Amarildo Rranci, 30, have admitted conspiracy to produce a Class B drug but deny a modern slavery charge.
Sokol Rranci also denies a firearms offence.
Prosecutors claim Sokol Rranci had paid for the Greek national to fly to the UK in September 2021.
The man, who cannot be named, spoke through a translator.
He said when he arrived he was taken to a property in Sheffield and was later moved to another in Mansfield, where there were cannabis plants in the attic.
He said he could tell they were “trying to trap" him.
“One of them searched my stuff and the other one hit me," he added.
'Threatening me'
He said one of the men, who he knew as Koli, had a pair of scissors.
“He started threatening me that he was going to cut my fingers off, my ears.
“He put it on my neck, my throat.”
The man said the brothers had spoken to his family and demanded money.
“Otherwise, they said, they would kill me. They were giving them a deadline.”
He said he was then placed in a car where Koli was holding a pistol but said he did not know if it was a replica or genuine.
“He was saying to me ‘You will see where I am going to take you, you are going to have so much fun.’
“He was saying it sarcastically.”
The man managed to escape and contacted the police.
Prosecutors have previously said this resulted in the discovery of 14 cannabis farms in Mansfield, Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Scunthorpe, Worksop and Withernsea.
Sokol Rranci, of St Anne’s Drive, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and Amarildo Rranci, now of Ferry Road, Scunthorpe, were arrested in March 2022.
Both men deny arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
Sokol Rranci also denies a charge of possessing a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
The trial continues.
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