The preliminary inquiry has already gone to the prosecution.
Police suspect that an entrepreneur operating in the barbershop business in Kainuu is guilty of human trafficking and blatant labor discrimination by recruiting, housing and acquiring employees.
The entire case is being investigated by the Foreign Investigation Unit of the Oulu Police Department. The preliminary inquiry has already gone to the prosecution.
According to the police, an entrepreneur with a foreign background recruited barbers in his companies from his former home country. Police suspect that the entrepreneur took a total of three of his barber employees with him by saying that they work for him for five years.
According to the police, the entrepreneur forced the employees to sign an agreement, according to which the employee had to pay 10,000 euros to him until the employee worked for him for five years.
The entrepreneur is suspected of arranging accommodation for some of his employees, taking an employee’s passport and residence permit, and pressuring his employees to continue working by threatening to lose their residence permits.
Employees have had to work six days a week whenever the barbershop has been open. The police suspect that the employer sought a part of the salary paid back in cash.
In addition, the police suspect the entrepreneur of mistreating his employee and organizing illegal immigration.
The entrepreneur and one of the employees provided false information to the immigration office about the employee’s salary in the joint scheme. Their objective was to obtain residence permits for the employee’s family by misrepresenting a sufficient income level in Finland.
