Man charged with human trafficking after raid rescues Romanian woman
June 29, 2015 · By Staff and agencies for www.theguardian.com
Razvan Ursu, 32, arrested after 26-year-old victim is found by police at a property in Burnley
The Burnley arrest came after two warrants were executed on Friday under the Human Trafficking Act. Photograph: Graham Turner
A man has been charged with human trafficking after a Romanian woman was found by police at an address in Burnley.
The 26-year-old woman was discovered in a raid at the property on Friday night.
Lancashire constabulary said officers arrested Razvan Ursu, 32, at the address. He was later charged with a human trafficking offence.
He was due to appear before Blackburn magistrates’ court on Saturday morning.
The arrest came after two warrants were executed on Friday under the Human Trafficking Act.
An address on St James Street in Blackburn was searched, along with the property on Ford Street in Burnley.
“At the Burnley address, a 26-year-old woman – a Romanian national – was discovered and has been taken to a place of safety where she is being supported by a number of charities and agencies,” police said.
There are an estimated 13,000 victims of forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude in Britain.
A bill on modern slavery, passed by parliament in March, increases the maximum jail sentence for traffickers from 14 years to life.
The law also allows the authorities to seize traffickers’ assets and force them to pay compensation to their victims.
