Defrim Paci and Sitar Ali
Defrim Paci and Sitar Ali are two British business owners convicted of modern slavery offences.
Paci and Ali, who ran a car wash in Carlisle, would lure Romanian workers to the UK with promises of work and accommodation. They would then force them to work 11 hours a day six or seven days a week with little to no pay. The staff were provided with subpar protective gear and often suffered chemical burns. They would be made to sleep on the floor in cramped rooms with several other people and with no electricity or running water. Paci and Ali overstated pay and understated working hours on official documentation in order to cover up their crimes.
Eventually, some of the workers reported the poor conditions to police in 2017, leading to an official investigation. After a four-year investigation, Paci and Ali were eventually arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit forced labour and conspiracy to facilitate travel for the purposes of forced labour. Both were convicted in 2021. Paci was sentenced to 3.75 years in prison, whereas Ali was sentenced to 3.25 years.