A GANG that allegedly trafficked more than 100 people into virtual slavery in Ireland had been deported by the Irish authorities two years before over money-laundering, it has emerged.
Remus Fusteac (40), his son Arthur (20) and nephew Alexandru Fuste (19), yesterday pleaded not guilty to charges of people trafficking at a court in Timisoara, western Romania, as they went on trial. They face a possible 15 years’ imprisonment.
But it has emerged that the gang – accused of trafficking poverty-stricken Romanians to Ireland between 2006 and 2008, and of threatening them with guns and knives to stop them going to police – had been deported from Ireland in 2004 after being investigated for money-laundering.
Prosecutors’ files show that the trio then managed to return to Ireland soon after and start up another criminal operation.
Prosecutors allege the trio led a family gang who recruited people from poor rural families in southwestern Romania between 2006 to 2008, and employed them in low-paying farming and labouring jobs around Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.
After paying traffickers £2,500 to get into the country, they then had to hand over 80 per cent of their earnings to the gang or face a beating, the court was told. Anyone who threatened to leave was told their families in Romania would be beaten or killed.
Prosecutors say the gang kept their victims in caravans and took advantage of the fact they did not speak English to control their lives – dealing with their employers and controlling their wages.
Speaking anonymously, after saying they had received death threats if they testified, alleged victims told the court the gang masters kept them in line by threatening them with guns and knives.
“We only had money for some very basic food. We lived on a diet of potatoes and eggs as we could not afford anything more,” one witness claimed.
“We lived in constant fear. We were always being threatened. They would tell us that if we did anything wrong or tried to tell anyone, our houses back home would be set on fire and our family and children would be killed.”
Another said that “one time I refused to pay up and one of them put a gun against my head and threatened me. I don’t want to remember any more how they treated us. It was terrifying.”
Another said: “They threatened me with knives and kept us in terror. It was horrific. Remus Fusteac would always tell us there was nothing we could do and that any Romanian who came to work in Ireland had to work for him, that he was all-powerful in Ireland.
“This was my first experience of going abroad for a job. I’m determined not to do it again. It was horrible.”
Romanian authorities say only a third of their victims have agreed to give evidence against the traffickers after gang members threatened their families. Prosecutor Tamas Schiffbeck, from the Organised Crime Brigade in Timisoara, said: “Many of the victims have refused to press charges because of continuous pressure and threats from the traffickers. Some witnesses have received death threats too.
“The people were taken, legally, to Budapest and from there were flown to Ireland. Once they arrived they were given accommodation in old shacks and put to work. The gang extorted most of their wages,” he added.
Many of the victims have needed psychological counselling to help them recover from their ordeals.
Police are also investigating Mr Fusteac’s wife Doina and his brother over fraud, extortion and money-laundering in a separate case. They have not yet been charged. The trial is set to continue on March 9th.
Gardaí in Co Wexford began investigating the gang last June and tipped off Romanian authorities.