Gravesend Roma gypsy gang members trafficked women 'like pieces of meat'

Slovakian nationals Roman Ziga, 26, - also known as Romeo - his brother Jozef Siza, 28 and Igor Boros, 43, were found guilty today of recruiting four women in their home country.

Roman Ziga was found not guilty of involvement in trafficking and immigration offences in relation to one of the victims.

Three other gang members based in Gravesend - Tibor Suchy, 29, of no fixed address, his wife Viktoria Sanova, 29, and brother-in-law Rene Sana, 31,  both from Granville Road, - were previously convicted of trafficking one of the women.

They pleaded guilty to trafficking the other three victims at the outset of this 13-week long trial at the Old Bailey.

Rene Sana, Viktoria Sanova and Tibor Suchy.

A Met Police spokeswoman said the four victims in the case were all vulnerable Slovak women - many from poverty-stricken backgrounds.

All had been brought over to the UK from Slovakia by the organised criminal network in order to marry Indian or Pakistani men, providing the men with the means to remain in the UK.

Some of the women believed they had been brought to the country for legitimate work.

A date for sentencing is yet to be set.

Igor Boros, Jozef Ziga and Roman Ziga.

The Zigas, Boros and Suchy have all been remanded in custody whilst Sana and Sanova were released on bail.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Keith McCormack, of the Met's Trafficking and Kidnap Unit (TKU), said: "The victims in this case were all vulnerable women, living in desperate conditions in Slovakia, whose circumstances ensured they could be easily exploited.

"Once in the UK, their ID documents were taken from them and, not knowing any English, they were trapped and unable to seek assistance. The traffickers treated these women like pieces of meat and planned to sell them for cash to men from non-EU countries. One of the victims was raped by the man she was sold to, and he was jailed for this.

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