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ROME (AP) \u2014 Italy\u2019s tax police said Saturday they had freed 33 Indian farm workers from \u201cslave-like working conditions\u201d in the northern province of Verona, while seizing almost half a million euros from the two alleged gangmasters.<\/p>\n
Police said the two alleged abusers, also Indian, persuaded their fellow nationals to come to Italy, paying \u20ac17,000 each to obtain seasonal working permits.<\/p>\n
The men were then obliged to work in farms for seven days a week and up to 10-12 hours a day, paid only 4 euros per hour, in conditions that the Italian police described as \u201cslavery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the migrants were also asked to continue working for free to pay an additional 13,000 euros for a permanent work permit, which in reality they would have never obtained, the police added.<\/p>\n
The two alleged abusers are under investigation for crimes including enslavement and labor exploitation. The victims will be offered protection, job opportunities and legal residency papers.<\/p>\n
The issue of modern forms of slavery in Italy came under the spotlight recently following the case of Satnam Singh<\/a>, a 31-year-old off-the-books Indian farm laborer who bled to death after being abandoned by his employer in front of his house after his arm was severed by a wrapping machine.<\/p>\n A Moody\u2019s report published in March showed that Italy persistently exhibited the highest number in Europe of modern slavery events, with approximately 32,000 incidents over five years from 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n