Passport Confiscated, 12-Hour Forced Labor, Wage Theft... UK Stunned by 'Modern-Day Slavery' Case

Czech Gang Stole Tens of Thousands in Wages
Forced Victims into Labor After Getting Them Jobs at McDonald's
Provided Only Bread and Soup, Made Victims Sleep on Makeshift Mattresses

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A group of Czech nationals who lured vulnerable men in the United Kingdom and forced them to work at McDonald's restaurants, stealing their wages, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms by a British court.

According to local outlets such as the BBC on June 4 (local time), Luton Crown Court in the UK sentenced Jan Drebenak (39) and his girlfriend Monika Olahova to eight years and six years and six months in prison, respectively, on charges including human trafficking and slavery-related imprisonment. The court also ordered that the two be deported as soon as they complete their sentences.

According to the court, in early 2018, Jan approached a man in the Karlovy Vary region of the Czech Republic who was struggling financially after losing his job.

Jan promised the victim "a better future in the UK," lured him to the country, and confiscated his identification and passport as soon as he arrived. He then forced the victim to live in inhumane conditions at his home in Bedford, making him sleep on a makeshift mattress.

Afterward, the group took online recruitment tests and provided interpretation at interviews on behalf of the victim, who was unfamiliar with the local situation, and got him employed at a McDonald's restaurant in Caxton, Cambridgeshire.

The victim endured grueling work, six days a week, 12 hours a day, but all his wages were deposited into the bank account of Jan's girlfriend, Olahova.

Between March and October 2018, a total of 12,000 pounds (approximately 2,492,000 won) in wages was paid under the victim's name, but he actually received only 90 pounds (about 190,000 won) in hand. The group exploited the victim's wages by citing transportation, food, and accommodation costs, and provided only bread and soup instead of proper meals.

Later, Jan even handed the victim over to his older brother and the ringleader, Ernest, for a ransom of 1,000 pounds (about 208,000 won).

Ernest's group used the same methods to enslave a total of six men at McDonald's restaurants over four years, seizing their wages and spending the money on luxury cars, jewelry, and overseas trips.

Judge Geoffrey Payne, who presided over the case, strongly condemned the defendants during sentencing, saying, "For over ten months, the defendants brutally trampled on the victim's dignity. They treated the victim as their personal property and showed no sign of remorse during the trial."

Detective Nick Webber of Cambridgeshire Police commented, "This case is a horrifying example that modern-day slavery can occur anywhere in our society."

Meanwhile, McDonald's stated, "After becoming aware of the incident, we have strengthened systems to detect and prevent potential risks, such as the use of joint bank accounts, excessive working hours, and the use of interpreters during interviews."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.