SEF arrested 2 Nepalese citizens and 23 Nepalese workers from Santerem and Lisbon

The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), within the competence in the field of criminal investigation, launched this morning, the POKHARA operation in order to meet three arrest warrants, two house search warrants and two search warrants in the company.

During the operation, which took place in Lisbon and Almeirim, were arrested three men - a national citizen, 40 years and two foreigners, 32 and 29 - and seized evidence supporting the illicit activity that was being carried out by the defendants - documents , computers and money. a firearm was also seized.

The two foreigners arrested were preparing to leave the country, having already purchased tickets to the effect.

POKHARA The operation also led to the rescue of 23 foreign workers from a farm located in Santarém region, where they worked and were housed in very poor and grossly degrading conditions. Following the operation, this group of 23 individuals was driven to a safe place, duly accompanied by members of the Association for Family Planning, who supported the action of the SEF.

The investigation resulted from a surveillance work that was done by the SEF in close coordination with the Authority for Working Conditions, in order to verify the legality of the employment relationship of workers involved in the harvesting of strawberries in greenhouses Almeirim region.

Having been strong criminal practice of evidence constados, especially the trafficking of people for purposes of labor exploitation, aiding illegal immigration and raising hand labor illegal, the facts were reported to prosecutors, who opened an inquiry initiating the investigation. At issue is the role of the workers' boss and his assistant, who through a sole company based in Lisbon, hired and provided foreign workers to farms.During the investigation it was found that workers signed employment contracts written in Portuguese, a language unfamiliar, whose terms were not met, in particular with regard to pay.

In fact, the power that each worker received was provided to you by discounting at maturity, consisting only of products: pasta, potatoes, onions and rice.

However, workers found themselves housed in three small rooms of a building with no minimum conditions of safety and hygiene, and no windows and floors, each consisting of a living room and kitchen, and a narrow room where about seven people slept in bunk beds type.

The 23 foreigners had access to only a single bathroom, no running water. None of these spaces had electricity. The accommodation was also deducted from the salary, which was thus substantially reduced.

In addition to the bad housing conditions, the meager salary and the discounts they were charged, the accommodation and food, foreigners were still deluded with information that if they could settle with the SEF.

The 23 workers were flagged as victims of trafficking in human beings and gathered in shelters and protection, provided by the Multidisciplinary Team Specialized - SOS Trafficking in Human Beings of Lisbon, the Association for Family Planning.