Police used Google Translate to speak with captives when they carried out a raid following information from a 15-year-old who was in a group being held against their will
Guilty: Hewa Margai has been sentenced to eight and a half years
A man has been jailed after a police investigation into modern-day slavery at a car wash in Mitcham.
Eight people, including a 15-year-old, were trafficked from Romania and held against their will in appalling conditions for weeks.
Hewa Margai, 45, of Carshalton Road, Mitcham, was found guilty at Kingston Crown Court of eight counts of holding a person in slavery or servitude under Section 1 of Modern Slavery Act. He was sentenced at the same court yesterday to eight and a half years in prison.
Between November and December 2020, eight Romanian nationals were brought to Britain under false promises of accommodation, fair pay, food and legitimate employment. Instead, the victims were deprived of basic human rights, forced to work in Margai’s Mitcham car wash, housed in a small room on-site, and routinely subjected to physical, mental and psychological abuse.
During the covid lockdown, the captives’ situation deteriorated, as they were confined to the car wash premises, with no access to their travel documents.
Captive kitchen: eight people were forced to live in a shed for weeks
In February 2021, officers at the Met’s Modern Slavery Unit received information from one of the victims, a 15-year-old child.
The boy said he had been lured to Britain with the promise of a job at the car wash – only to have his passport confiscated on arrival by the manager.
Police attended the car wash that day, as can be seen in the bodycam video footage above. They found two women – aged in their 20s – as well as five men and the 15-year-old boy. They had been living in a shed on-site for months.
The police had to use Google Translate to speak to the victims, as they only spoke minimal English. The police were told that the captives had been bused to London just before the covid lockdown, when the car wash was closed.
They were still expected to pay rent to Margai, who had taken their IDs.
One of the women rescued needed hospital treatment and surgery, “a direct consequence of the neglect and conditions she endured during her captivity”, according to the Met.
Basic bedding: the captives had only the most basic amenities
At the time of the raid, Margai was out of the country. He was arrested on his return to Britain in March 2021.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Stubbins, from Central Specialist Crime, said: “The trauma and ordeal the victims endured cannot be underestimated. They have shown remarkable strength throughout the investigation and played an essential role in providing evidence to ensure Margai is held accountable and receives the appropriate punishment for his crimes.
“I would like to thank the investigation team, who worked tirelessly to identify the victims, ensure their safety and help repatriate them to Romania, where they could be reunited with their friends and family.
“By engaging directly with the victims, the first officers on the scene were able to gather vital information and promptly safeguard the group, resulting in an effective investigation.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Margai was handed a 10-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order.
“It is vital that communities across London understand that modern slavery happens every day,” The Met said. “If you suspect something is wrong or believe people are being exploited, report it to the police immediately by calling 101.”
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What a heartbreaking, shameful world we’ve become — a place where people believe they have the right to treat God’s children like this. Humans crammed into a freezing room, forced to use an outdoor shower and toilet in the bitter cold — how can anyone witness that and not feel rage in their soul? There is a special place waiting for those who profit from such cruelty.
If only humanity would stop worshipping wealth and the glitter of possessions built on the backs of the poor and enslaved, and instead hold the guilty accountable — publicly, unmistakably — maybe then this earth could remember what decency looks like.
Until then, perhaps the planet will make yet another attempt to cleanse itself of its most devastating pollutant — human beings.