Operation Balarama has allowed the Civil Guard in Castellón to dismantle a network dedicated to human trafficking for labor exploitation purposes. Seven individuals have been arrested, and 80 migrant individuals, 77 men and 3 women aged between 20 and 35, have been freed. These individuals were in a situation of extreme vulnerability, housed in unsanitary conditions, often without access to water or electricity, and forced to work more than 12 hours a day.
The detainees are accused of the entire exploitation process, from recruiting victims in their home countries with false job promises to their exploitation in the agricultural sector in Spain. The victims, mostly men from Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, or Arab countries, were lured through deceptive offers spread via social media and personal contacts, promising decent wages and accommodation.
The victims were forced to work long hours in the fields, mainly in agricultural harvesting, under very precarious conditions with shifts of up to 12 and 13 hours a day with hardly any rest. Remuneration was non-existent or merely symbolic, as expenses for accommodation, transport, or maintenance were deducted from their supposed salaries.
A Pakistani couple, owners of the main settlement in Nules, has been identified as one of the main beneficiaries of this scheme. The group primarily operated in the regions of La Plana Baixa and L'Alt Palància in Castellón, as well as in Camp de Morvedre, Camp de Túria, and L'Horta Nord in Valencia. Victims were transported to Spain, incurring a debt that was then used as a mechanism of control and coercion. Upon arrival, they were housed in extremely overcrowded dwellings, lacking habitability requirements and even basic supplies like water or electricity.
The investigation, coordinated by the Provincial Prosecutor's Delegate for Human Trafficking and supported by the Provincial Labor and Social Security Inspectorate, revealed that the organization operated hierarchically, using companies and legal structures to feign legality. Five home searches were conducted, and two of the seven detainees have been imprisoned. The operation involved the collaboration of social and health entities such as the Red Cross, Cáritas, and the Food Bank to assist the victims.
