In his home town of in the Czech Republic, Jan struck up a relationship with a girl.
Unknown to him, the girl was a family member of a trafficking ring in Plymouth. They travelled to Prague together on what he thought was a short trip, but she left after three days, leaving him to be picked up by another family member and taken to Plymouth.
Jan was just one victim in what turned out to be a major trafficking operation.
Unable to speak any English, he was forced to work long hours at a meat processing factory, banned from using toilet facilities at the house where he slept, and forced to divide up his weekly wage for the family.
Living off just £30 of his weekly wages, Jan was so hungry that staff at the meat factory started giving him spare sandwiches.
The family were simultaneously exploiting other victims, housing them in appalling conditions across Plymouth, taking their wages, forcing them to clean their houses, subjecting them to physical abuse and threats.
The family is now serving time. The victims are all safe.
Jan’s name has been changed