Woman Guilty Of Human Trafficking

A housewife who kept a Tanzanian woman as a modern-day slave in her Harrow bungalow has been sentenced after being found guilty of human trafficking.

Saeeda Khan, a 68-year-old widow was found guilty of one count of trafficking people for exploitation under the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 at Southwark Crown Court.

She received a 9 month sentence suspended for two years and was ordered to pay £25,000 in compensation to the 48-year-old Tanzanian victim and also £15,000 in costs. These sums must be paid within the next 42 days.

During the trial, which began on the 7 March, the jury heard how Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Services' Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command arrested Khan, after receiving intelligence that she had trafficked a woman from Tanzania to work as a slave in her home.

After receiving this intelligence they launched an investigation with help from a number of charitable organisations.

Detectives arrived at Khan's home address in Whitmore Road, Harrow, west London on 11 February 2010, to rescue the 47-year-old victim.

Later, after a search of the Harrow address they found a thin folded up mattress in the hallway with sheets that looked like they were being used as a duvet cover. It was only after interviewing the victim that the specialist officers discovered the extent of her traumatising experience as a slave in Khan's home.

The victim met Khan when she worked for her at a hospital in Tanzania prior to 2005. After she was made redundant, she accepted the job offer to work in England and a contract was drawn up which stated that she would receive 120,000 Tanzanian shillings each month which equates to about £38.

Fifty thousand of this would be given to her daughter for her school fees in Tanzania, another 50,000 would be transferred to an account in the victim's name and the remaining 20,000 would be paid as £10 each month for her personal needs while she was in London. The victim was helped to open the account in Tanzania into which the 50,000 shillings would be paid each month. However, she had no way of checking that this money went into the account as she was not even told the account number.

In October 2006, the victim travelled to London where she began work. Khan confiscated her passport and visa documents and kept her belongings locked in the shed in the back garden.

From the moment she arrived in the UK she was put to work - her day began at 5am when she was given her list of household chores which included cooking, cleaning, gardening and caring for Khan's grown up children who did not live at the address full-time. She would often work through the night until the following morning, going without sleep to complete her tasks. She always worked a seven-day week.

It was only when the victim required urgent medical attention on the 1 February 2010 that her dire living situation was uncovered. The victim was rescued by officers and offered support by a number of different charitable organisations.

On 1 September 2010, Khan attended Charring Cross Police station, where she was charged in connection with the exploitation of the 47-year-old-woman.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard Martin, who heads the Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command, said: "Human trafficking is one of the biggest generators of criminal finance in the world. Forcing people to work as slaves is a deplorable part of this immoral trade and one that we will do everything we can to stop.

"This particular case highlights the lengths that traffickers will go to when trying to avoid prosecution. I would like to commend the victim who has shown incredible strength and courage by coming forward to the authorities to relay her terrifying and degrading ordeal."

(BMcN)