The National Police and Barcelona City Guard report a double arrest connected to the exploitation of a worker held in harsh conditions. The two suspects, both Pakistani nationals, are accused of human trafficking through labor exploitation inside a hidden kitchen located in a basement in the city area. The space lacked basic hygiene, proper ventilation, natural light, and electrical safety, creating a hazardous living and working environment for the victim.
According to authorities, the men lured individuals with promises of employment and then forced them to work long hours in a concealed kitchen. The victim received an offer of 33 euros per day which included meals and lodging, but the reality involved shifts lasting well beyond standard hours. At times the workers were required to toil for more than 15 hours a day, and in some cases up to 18 hours, preparing meals and distributing them to homes and local eateries without receiving proper pay.
Conflicts and coercion intensified as the victims were confined in the basement, with keys used to restrict movement. They were often compelled to surrender their passports and mobile phones. Several of the workers faced threats tied to the political and social instability in their home countries, making resistance or escape even more dangerous.
Investigation
Law enforcement began probing in December after a city guard officer received a warning from a person claiming to be locked in a basement and forced to work under continuous, unsanitary conditions. The alert prompted a broader look into the working conditions inside a group of grocery stores linked to the same individual who operated the basement kitchen.
By late December, with support from the Catalan Labor Inspectorate, investigators conducted two entries at the grocery locations tied to the main suspect. During the operation, authorities detained the person identified as the primary offender and executed searches that uncovered the hidden kitchen and the workers’ living and working space. The investigation revealed additional victims and potential accomplices associated with the operation, including individuals who were not legally residing in Spain at the time.
As the inquiry progressed, a second suspect was later detained at the end of the month, facing charges related to the same crime. The expanding case highlights a coordinated effort by police and labor officials to shut down illegal labor exploitation networks and safeguard vulnerable workers who are transported, housed, and forced to work under coercive conditions.