Man accused of forcing berry picking and begging sent to court

A man accused of human trafficking, forced labour and fraud has been sent for trial in Kaunas, LRT reported, citing the Prosecutor General’s Office. Five people have been recognised as victims in the case.

Four of them were allegedly exploited for forced labour. Prosecutors say the accused took advantage of their difficult social and financial circumstances, health problems, lack of housing and dependence on him, transporting them to forests to pick berries. Three were allegedly forced to pick berries, while another was told to sell them.

The accused allegedly took the berries and kept the money from their sale. The victims are believed to have been housed in tents and unable to leave the forest independently. One woman was also allegedly forced to beg in Kaunas. The accused reportedly controlled how much money she had to collect and when she could stop, then took the proceeds.

Investigators also found that the accused had allegedly obtained and used several people’s electronic identification and online banking details without authorisation. He is suspected of using them to access information systems in the victims’ names, use their payment cards and carry out financial transactions. Prosecutors say he also used forged documents to fraudulently obtain social benefits belonging to the victims.

The charges include offences related to delayed or improper payment of wages and other employment-related benefits, forced labour, fraud, unauthorised access to information systems, payment-card offences and document forgery. The maximum penalty for the alleged offences is 12 years in prison. The case will be heard by Kaunas Regional Court.