(See video at the bottom of the article)
Everyday life for many of the employees in the retail Lime consisted of illegally long hours, no pay and no days off, police said. Also read: One person arrested in Larvik –
Several employees from different countries given the status of victims in the case after being questioned by police, newspaper VG.
– They think we are the victims, the people who worked in the stores and has been exploited for forced labor, says police lawyer Anja Perminow Stenersen.
Police have questioned dozens of people associated with Lime-chain, and the details will appear, reminding according LO the slave drive.
– The first thing that strikes me is that this sounds like slavery, says trade union secretary Trine Tin Lund.
Lawyer Gro Wild Hagen, who represents several victims, tells of few or no days off, illegally long hours for extended periods and no or only partial access to their own income.
– Rough exploited
Some employees are also deprived of credit card and other identity papers, according to police information.
– Overall I can say that my clients believe that they have been grossly exploited, but they are now out of the situation is well cared for, says counsel Gro Wild Hagen
More Lime staff tells VG that several of them lived in the same building as the store they worked at.
On Tuesday, the 17 people arrested when police struck against a number Lime stores. The next day, two arrested. Thursday, eleven of the hitherto 20 accused in the case remanded for four weeks with letters and restraining orders, two weeks in complete isolation. It is planned one more imprisonment meeting Friday.
Over 50 addresses checked
Several of those arrested are accused of gross human trafficking and forced labor in connection with the operation of Lime stores.
Lime-founder Sajjad Hussain (37) was taken into custody early as August, accused of gross human trafficking.
Police have so far raided and controlled over 50 addresses and objects of suspicion of serious trafficking, tax evasion, insurance fraud, mortgage fraud, the use of another’s identity and skimming.
Skeptical defenders
NRK reports that nine of the accused belong to the same family, and the case was rolled up in connection with a family conflict. Among the eleven who were jailed Thursday, several of the alleged principal’s immediate family: parents, two brothers and a sister.
Several defense lawyers are skeptical that the police have gone so broad and arrested so many people, many of them in the same family, and that the charges are so serious. In addition, several of the screened health problems. One of them fell down on the way out from court hearing Thursday. (© NTB)
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