How 16 human trafficking victims were forced to work at McDonald's

A family-run human trafficking gang went undetected for years as it forced 16 slavery victims to toil at McDonald's and a factory supplying major supermarkets.

Ernest Drevenak and Veronika Bubencikova, both 46, were found to have started exploiting the men from the Czech Republic in 2015 - but were only caught in 2019. Drevenak is said to have run the gang alongside his brother Zdenek. 

Their victims - who were homeless, unemployed or in very low-paid jobs in the Czech Republic - had been brought to the UK with the promise of a better life.

Some were then put to work in Caxton, Cambridgeshire, at a branch of McDonald's - with the fast food chain now promising it had improved systems to spot 'potential risks'.

Others were made to work for a factory providing bread for high street supermarkets. 

There were 16 slavery victims, the corporation revealed - with nine working at the McDonald's branch and nine at the pitta bread firm which had factories in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, and Tottenham in north London.

Two of those involved were employed by both McDonald's and Speciality Flatbread, the latter of which is no longer operating.

They are said to have been paid at least the national minimum wage, only to have almost all of their cash stolen by the criminal enterprise in charge of them.

And the victims spent their days living in cramped accommodation including a leaking shed and an unheated caravan, even as the gang leaders were lavishing their earnings on luxury cars and gold jewellery.

Warning signs were missed for years by officials, the BBC reported - such as the victims' wages being paid into accounts under other people's names.

Payments meant for at least four of the employees, adding up to £215,000, were said to have gone into an account controlled by the slave-trading gang.

Those trafficked here from the Czech Republic could not speak English, with a gang member completing their job applications and sitting in on interviews to translate.

And the McDonald's employees were found to have been working as many as between 70 and 100 hours per week.

Nine victims lived in the same terraced home in Enfield, north London, while working for the bakery firm.

Dame Sara Thornton, the former independent anti-slavery commissioner, told the BBC: 'It really concerns me that so many red flags were missed, and that maybe the companies didn’t do enough to protect vulnerable workers.

Detective Sergeant Chris Acourt, who led a probe by Cambridgeshire Police, told of there being 'massive opportunities' missed to uncover the gang sooner.

He said: 'Ultimately, we could have been in a situation to end that exploitation much earlier had we been made aware.'

The gang was led by brothers Ernest and Zdenek Drevenak, who were found to have seized the passports of their victims while controlled them through fear and violence.

One victim named Pavel, who waived his right to anonymity, told the BBC how he was first approached by the gang while homeless in the Czech Republic in 2016 and tempted by the promise of a well-paid job in Britain.

Yet he found himself working 70 hours each week at McDonald's while given just a few pounds per day.

Pavel said: 'You can’t undo the damage to my mental health - it will always live with me.

'We were afraid. If we were to escape and go home, [Ernest Drevenak] has a lot of friends in our town - half the town were his mates.'

He added: 'I do feel partially exploited by McDonald’s because they didn't act.

'I thought if I was working for McDonalds, that they would be a little bit more cautious, that they will notice it.'

The British Retail Consortium said: 'It is important that the retail industry learns from cases like this to continually strengthen due diligence.' 

A spokesperson for McDonald's (UK & Ireland) said in a statement today: 'The victims in these cases were cruelly exploited by the criminal perpetrators of these shocking offences. McDonald’s commends the bravery the victims showed during the legal proceedings in bringing the criminals to justice.

'Together with our franchisees, we have taken action to strengthen the ability of our people and systems to detect and deter potential risks.

'In addition, this year, we have begun a partnership with Unseen, a leading expert organisation that specialises in addressing modern slavery issues and helping businesses in mitigating any risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.

'We care deeply about the welfare of every single one of the 168,000 people working at McDonald’s and franchisee owned restaurants across the UK and Ireland. With our franchisees, we will play our part alongside government, NGOs and wider society to help combat the evils of modern slavery.'

Drevenak and Bubencikova pleaded not guilty to six counts of holding a person in slavery or servitude, five counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation, and fraud by false representation. 

They were found guilty last October after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court, with Drevenak jailed for 12 and a half years and Bubencikova for ten and a half years, Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement today.

It is estimated the couple stole at least £200,000 from the men over the four-year period. Reporting on the case has been prevented until now due to reporting restrictions.

Detective Constable Nick Webber, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: 'This case goes to show that sadly slavery can happen anywhere.

'Drevenak and Bubencikova preyed on vulnerable people in the Czech Republic who were down on their luck. The idea of work and accommodation in the UK was the dream they were sold – something they didn't feel they could turn down.

'Drevenak and Bubencikova pretended to befriend the victims and acted as though they were doing them a favour, while all the time stealing thousands of pounds from them. Their crimes will have a significant and long-lasting impact on the victims.

'We have been working closely with McDonald's during this investigation. When they recognised the loophole that allowed these offences to take place, they put measures in place to prevent it happening again, and have provided significant support when relocating the victims.

'We need people to be aware of the signs of modern slavery and report any concerns they have.'