Man jailed for keeping eight people enslaved in London car wash

A man has been jailed for keeping eight people enslaved in a car wash in London.

Hewa Margai, 45, of Carshalton Road, Mitcham, London, was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison at Kingston Crown Court after being found guilty of eight counts of holding a person in slavery or servitude.

The victims, including a 15-year-old boy, are Romanian nationals who were trafficked to the UK between November and December 2020 under false promises of accommodation, fair pay, food and legitimate employment.

But after they arrived, they were forced to work at Margai’s car wash in Mitcham, housed in a small shed on-site, and routinely subjected to physical, mental and psychological abuse.

During the COVID lockdown, the victims were confined to the car wash premises without access to their travel documents.

The 15-year-old victim contacted the Metropolitan Police on 1 February 2021, saying he had been lured to the UK with the promise of a job at the car wash, but had his ID confiscated by the manager upon arrival.

When officers went to the car wash on the same day, they found two women in their 20s and five men aged in their teens, 20s and 30s, as well as the 15-year-old boy, who had been living in a shed on-site for months.

The victims spoke minimal English, but disclosed to officers via Google Translate that they had come to the UK via bus and had only worked for a few weeks before the car wash was closed due to the COVID lockdown.

After the business was closed, they said they had to pay rent to car wash owner Margai, who had confiscated their IDs.

One of the rescued women developed a severe infection, resulting in hospitalisation and multiple surgeries. This was a direct consequence of the neglect and conditions she endured during her captivity, according to police.

Margai was out of the country at the time of the raid and was arrested upon his return to the UK on 12 March 2021.

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Judge Mark Milliken-Smith KC said when sentencing Margai: “In my opinion, your desire for financial profit trumped any care for these young people, once they arrived.

“You instructed them to remain within the car wash premises … they had no choice, and you knew it.”

The judge said when police arrived at the car wash, they found that “the room was cold and damp and smelt terribly of old food and body odour”.

He added: “You intended them to live in this squalor, and you intended to profit from it,” he added. “Without their [ID] cards, they were effectively your captives, and you knew it.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Stubbins, from the Metropolitan Police’s Central Specialist Crime unit, said: “The trauma and ordeal the victims endured cannot be underestimated.

“They have shown remarkable strength throughout the investigation and played an essential role in providing evidence to ensure Margai is held accountable and receives the appropriate punishment for his crimes.”

DCI Stubbins added: “I would like to thank the investigation team, who worked tirelessly to identify the victims, ensure their safety and help repatriate them to Romania, where they could be reunited with their friends and family.

“By engaging directly with the victims, the first officers on the scene were able to gather vital information and promptly safeguard the group, resulting in an effective investigation.”