Chinese couple held for exploiting workers, including Bangladeshis, in Italy

Italian police have arrested a Chinese couple, who allegedly exploited workers from Bangladesh, China and Pakistan, at a leather processing factory in central Italy.

The migrants reportedly had to work 14 hours per day without breaks, for just over three euros per hour, reports InfoMigrants, a European news portal on Friday. It did not mention the number of migrants exploited.

The Florence prosecutor's office conducted an investigation into worker exploitation at a leather processing company that led to the arrest of two people. They were placed in pre-trial custody in jail. Authorities seized assets from the couple totaling €522,883.

They are accused of exploiting migrant workers, most of whom were Chinese, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

A judge also issued residence restriction orders for two other Chinese citizens, relatives of the couple.

After initial hearing, Judge Angela Fantechi wrote in the arrest warrant that the workers were kept "in a state of submission and exploitation" with "macroscopic violations of maximum work hours and a lack of breaks, with people reduced to mere labour."

In some cases, the migrants were reportedly forced to work overnight in order to meet delivery deadlines.

The judge wrote that the couple committed all-around violations in operating their business, which was done with the exclusive goal of maximising profit, in contempt of every law in force, with a complete evasion of taxes and exploitation of workers.

The couple has been charged with illegal gang-mastering, fraudulent bankruptcy, fraudulent declaration and fraudulent evasion of tax payments, as well as illegal collection and disposal of hazardous waste.

The investigation by the Italian finance police led to a company in Rome with a local branch in Calenzano of Florence. The local branch subcontracted its work to a company managed by the Chinese couple.

The couple allegedly entrusted the work to individual companies that remained operational only for brief periods of time, which were periodically liquidated in order to avoid paying debts with tax authorities.

According to investigators, these companies were then replaced by new companies, which operated in the same places and with the same machines and labour force.

Investigators allege that the main company and its subsidiaries accrued a total of €589,000 in back taxes between 2013 and 2019 and evaded €522,883 in additional taxes.