In Kyiv, people were recruited from train stations and forced to work for free
In Kyiv, law enforcement officials uncovered a labor exploitation scheme in which people were deceived into being recruited from the city’s train stations for forced labor at a woodworking plant. Four individuals have already been charged with human trafficking.
According to the investigation, the suspects rented a space where they set up a woodworking workshop.
They sought out potential workers among socially vulnerable individuals—the unemployed, the homeless, and those without documents or a stable income.
The victims were offered work, housing, and food, but in reality, they found themselves in conditions of forced labor. People were forced to work for free, and all proceeds from the sale of the manufactured products were appropriated by the organizers.
According to the investigation, workers were effectively prohibited from leaving the facility. To this end, they were forced to agree to so-called “debts” for transportation to the facility, specifically for taxi rides, which they were required to “work off.”
Law enforcement officials note that victims were threatened and beaten if they attempted to escape or disobeyed orders. People were also held in inadequate and unsanitary living conditions.
At least 11 victims who were forced into unpaid labor have been identified so far. The investigation is also looking into the possible existence of other victims of this scheme.
Under the procedural supervision of the Darnytskyi District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv, four suspects have been notified of charges under Part 2 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (human trafficking).
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
This was reported by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office.
As a reminder, the cyber police and the Pension Fund of Ukraine are warning of a new wave of fraudulent schemes targeting pensioners. Criminals are spreading false messages on messaging apps and social media about alleged new payments and “supplements” to pensions in order to gain access to citizens’ banking data. Authorities urge people not to click on suspicious links and to verify information only through official sources.
Recently in Kyiv, scammers swindled a 74-year-old pensioner out of over 1.4 million hryvnias in various currencies, under the pretext of a security service investigation into ties to an aggressor country.
In Kryvyi Rih, an international fraud scheme involving the sale of metal products was uncovered.
The State Bureau of Investigation announcednew charges against a former official from Mykolaiv.
