Two men guilty of modern slavery crimes at Carlisle car wash

From left: Sitar Ali and Defrim Paci forced workers to work long hours for little pay, the court heard

Two men have been found guilty of running a modern slavery ring at a car wash in Carlisle.

Defrim Paci, 42, of Nottinghamshire, and Sitar Ali, 33, of Carlisle, brought Romanian workers to the UK and made them work long hours for little pay.

Jurors at Carlisle Crown Court heard staff endured terrible working conditions and were forced to live in dirty, crowded houses.

Paci and Ali were remanded in custody to be sentenced on 30 July.

Paci's brother, Jetmir Paci, 37, Minimum Terrace, Chesterfield, was found not guilty of two conspiracy allegations.

Prosecutor Martin Reid said that during 2016 and 2017 the workers at Shiny car wash "were compelled to work long hours in bad conditions for little pay, their labour being exploited for the benefit of the defendants".

‪Mr Reid said the victims had identity cards taken from them until travel cost debt was repaid, were required to live in "very dirty" multi-occupancy accommodation and were "faced with having only £20 in their pockets from a week's work of 11 hours a day, six days a week".

Feet 'eaten away'‪

Some described having no breaks, of having skin burned by cleaning chemicals and of receiving no protective clothing, Mr Reid said.

One man told how he was left unable to stand because water had "eaten away at his feet" when he worked nine days in a row without proper equipment.

One worker later told police: "They treated me the same like they would do with a slave."

Prosecutors said ‪Defrim Paci, of Windmill Close, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, "operated at the top of the conspiracy" having been "responsible for buying the land and setting up" the hand car wash business.

‪Ali, of Adelaide Street, Carlisle, was responsible for the day-to-day treatment of the staff, their wages and payment for their transport to the UK, their accommodation and rent collection.

All three men were accused of conspiracy to require others to perform forced or compulsory labour at the car wash and conspiracy to facilitate travel with a view to exploitation.

Ali was also found guilty of possessing criminal property after £16,000 was found in a BMW when he was arrested.

Jurors at Carlisle Crown Court heard evidence of terrible conditions at Shiny car wash, Warwick Road, where workers were forced to work