Three men have been jailed after trafficking vulnerable people into the UK and forcing them to live in appalling and squalid conditions.

Sebastian Haj, 37, Nicolai Vitega, 54, and Floris Adrian Laurus, 32, were each found guilty of human trafficking and sentenced at court this week. Haj was jailed for nine months, while Vitega and Laurus each received one-year sentences. All were also ordered to pay a £187 surcharge.

The arrests followed a report to police on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 of suspicious activity at Cobham Services, where two lorries were seen offloading people into waiting vans. Officers found one lorry still on site, its windows steamed and cab curtains drawn. Suspecting human trafficking, they forced entry.

Three people were found hiding in the cab – a man and woman in the back, and a second man wedged into an upper compartment, strapped behind a suitcase. The man, unable to free himself, had to be cut loose.

The victims, all from Vietnam, told police via translation services that they had been trafficked into the UK, with phones and passports confiscated. They had been living in the lorry for a week on bread and water. One reported not having been allowed to shower for a month.

Police later located the second lorry at Clacket Lane Services and arrested Laurus. CCTV evidence led officers to Haj, who was also detained. All three vehicles were seized.

Detective Inspector James Ansell described the men as members of an international organised crime group, adding: “This public report led to our intervention and likely prevented further exploitation.”

Surrey Police praised the efforts of multiple teams involved in the investigation, with support from the National Crime Agency and Regional Organised Crime Unit.

More information on modern slavery is available at surrey.police.uk