Police Charge Ethnic Iraqi with Alleged Labour Trafficking

Bratislava, 12 June (TASR) - An investigator from the illegal migration unit of the Organised Crime Office of the Police Corps Presidium on Thursday (11 June) charged a Slovak citizen of Iraqi origin with the crime of human-trafficking. According to the findings so far, the suspect allegedly exploited three Indonesian nationals through forced labour in Bratislava between June 2025 and January 2026, the Police Corps Presidium told TASR. The men came to Slovakia after accepting job offers that promised legal employment, accommodation and a regular income. Upon arrival, they allegedly worked without formal employment contracts and without registration in the social security and health-care systems. Initially employed as food-delivery couriers and later as taxi drivers, they reportedly worked long hours seven days a week while receiving inadequate pay for their work, said the police. They were allegedly provided with only minimal funds to cover basic living expenses. The investigation also indicates that the victims remained in the adverse conditions out of fear of losing their residence permits and facing possible deportation. The police said that the suspect had allegedly created a system of dependency that made it difficult for the victims to escape their situation. Officers detained the suspect during an operation carried out with the assistance of the intervention team of the mobile response unit of the Sobrance Border and Foreign Police Directorate. An investigator has also filed a motion to place the accused in pre-trial detention due to concerns that he could abscond or continue his criminal activities. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of between seven and 12 years, according to the Police Corps Presidium. The police said that procedural steps are continuing to fully clarify all circumstances of the case. No further details can be released at this stage due to the ongoing criminal proceedings. mf/df