Portuguese criminal police and the Spanish Guardia Civil announced that in Operation Mãos Livres (Free Hands) they broke up a family network of human traffickers and detained five people. Two Portuguese men, whom investigators say were held captive for 30 and 15 years, were freed already in the first phase of the operation in March 2025. Polícia Judiciária ↗
The network allegedly supplied vulnerable people from Portugal as forced labor for agricultural work near Burgos, Spain. The victims lived in miserable conditions under constant pressure, and the suspects took almost their entire earnings. In addition, they registered the victims in the Spanish social security system in order to draw social benefits and open bank accounts in their names — making detection more difficult. TVI/Lusa ↗
According to investigators, the victim who spent three decades in captivity was passed among members of the group like merchandise. Three suspects aged 32 to 35 were detained in Spain under a European arrest warrant, and two others were detained in Portugal. Observador ↗
Police break up network that allegedly enslaved a Portuguese man for 30 years. Suspects reportedly passed the victim among themselves like merchandise
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