Enfield slavery gang jailed for human trafficking offences

On the promise of jobs and accommodation in the UK, Zdenek Drevenak, Jiri Cernohous and Martin Slovjak trafficked victims from the Czech Republic to a house in Durants Road, Enfield. 

They then had their passports and identity documents confiscated and many were forced into work at a McDonald’s in Cambridgeshire or at pita bread bakeries in Hoddesdon or Tottenham. 

They were deceived into signing contracts that allowed their wages to go directly into the gang members’ bank accounts. 

Victims who worked 10 to 12-hour shifts without breaks were supposed to earn £300 a week but received £50 a week or less as pocket money whilst being charged £150 for rent. 

Meanwhile a court heard that the gang made up to £400,000 per year. 

One woman was made to work as a prostitute, firstly in a brothel and then on the streets where Drevenak would monitor her from his car. 

Zdenek Drevenak (Image: Met Police) The gang typically targeted people who spoke little or no English and were from poor or rural backgrounds in the Czech Republic. 

A Met Police investigation began in 2019 following information received from Czech Police, and it revealed that the exploitation dated back to 2012. 

Martin Slovjak (Image: Met Police) On Friday (October 4) at Southwark Crown Court the trio were jailed after being found guilty of trafficking and modern slavery offences. 

Drevanak, 38, of Crane Street, Huntington, was jailed for 13 years. 

Cernohous, 49, of Spenser Road, Bedfrod, was jailed for nine years. 

Slovjak, 46, of Cambridge Road, Croxton, was jailed for four years. 

Jiri Cernohous (Image: Met Police) Debi Lloyd, head of UK counter trafficking operation at Justice and Care, said: “This has been a long running and complex case and it has been our privilege to support the survivors.  

“These men and women faced horrific exploitation that no human being should ever be put through, and the courage they have shown throughout the investigation amid incredibly difficult circumstances has been astounding.  

“We also applaud the tireless work of the police involved in this case. This sentencing shows how our navigators are essential in empowering survivors throughout the criminal justice process and enabling investigation teams to build strong cases.” 

Kate Mulholland, specialist prosecutor in the London South Complex Casework Unit, said: “The victims were controlled and manipulated by Drevenak, Daducova, Cernohous, and Slovjak in the most despicable way. 

“They used a variety of methods, both physical and psychological, to coerce, deceive and exploit the 12 men and women, who spoke little or no English and had their passports and identity documents removed on arrival. 

“The vulnerable victims may not have been under lock and key, but their ability to escape was undermined by the various methods of control – and as a result they remained trapped in ‘invisible handcuffs’. 

“This was a shocking case of exploitation, and each member of the gang played their part in making it possible.”