Police have arrested a woman after busting a human trafficking ring that saw a number of Hungarian immigrants allegedly forced to work for free at her Mississauga restaurant.
RCMP accuse Csilla Yit, a Canadian citizen, of luring immigrants from Hungary under false pretenses and then forcing them to work for free.
The case surfaced in July when a 45-year old man spoke to police.
"He indicated that he'd come over from Hungary and he was promised employment and this individual, once he got here, things changed considerably,” said Staff Sgt. Ashley Lambert of the RCMP.
The man told police he had been forced to cook, clean, wait tables and do repairs on rental properties in Hamilton. He said he was also forced to sleep on a yoga mat in the restaurant basement and he pointed police to others – six men and three women – who were living in similar circumstances.
"They weren't paid, they weren't compensated. Essentially, in some instances, they were only fed one meal a day,” Lambert said.
He said one of the biggest hurdles that kept the immigrants from seeking help sooner is the fact they spoke little English.
“It was difficult for them to find somebody to go to,” Lambert said.
- With a report from Tamara Cherry
