Organization dedicated to the recruitment and exploitation of foreign agricultural labor dismantled. Ten arrests
10 suspects held responsible for criminal association aimed at illicit intermediation and multi-aggravated labor exploitation.
Organization dedicated to the recruitment and exploitation of foreign agricultural labor dismantled. Ten arrests.
Matera. In the early hours of morning today, In 'Metaponto area (Policoro, Scanzano Jonico, Pisticci and Bernalda), the soldiers of the Policoro Company (MT) and the Carabinieri Labor Inspectorate Unit of Matera have executed a precautionary custody order - issued by GIP of the Court of Matera at the request of the local Prosecutor's Office - towards 10 investigated (1 in prison and 9 under house arrest), held responsible, in various capacities, for criminal association aimed at illicit intermediation and multi-aggravated labor exploitation (art. 416 paragraph 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the criminal code in conjunction with Article 3 of Law 146/2006 and 603 bis of the Criminal Code).
In particular, it emerged that a farmer, together with his daughter and one of his trustees, recruited numerous laborers abroad who, in order to obtain an employment contract, in order to make use of the so-called "flows decree”, they had to correspond to a local intermediary sum of €6.000; having arrived in the Metapontino area, the laborers were housed by the organization in dilapidated structures (three of which had already been seized during the investigations), upon payment of a fee rent equal to €3 per day, where they were taken from and led into the camps by 7 corporals (all foreigners).
During the investigation it was established that the laborers carried out work performance of 8/10 hours per day, even on public holidays, with peaks up to 16 hours, in front of 6 hours provided for by national collective bargaining. The remuneration for these services, which was below the threshold, allowed the mere survival of the workers.
The investigation, conducted jointly by the military of Policoro Company (MT) and from Carabinieri Inspectorate Unit of Work of Matera from July 2022 to May 2023, arises from the complaints of the labourers, relating to mere delays in the payment of wages, collected by Policoro Carabinieri during a normal territorial control service. The subsequent targeted in-depth studies also carried out with the aid of Labor Inspectorate Unit, have revealed a much more serious scenario.
The elements that led to the issuing of today's provision were collected with “traditional” methods” and under the constant guidance of Public Prosecutor's Office of Matera.
The activity confirms the effectiveness of organizational model of the Army where the territorial structures, present in a widespread manner, in addition to knowing how to listen and grasp the needs and anomalies of the social context, operate synergistically with the investigative and specialized components of the force present at provincial and regional level.
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