Four Romanian men are receiving support from the Salvation Army after they were discovered by police investigating human trafficking in Melksham this morning.
A joint operation between Wiltshire Police and HMRC saw officers from both agencies attend commercial premises in the town shortly after 9am this morning.
The men, all aged between 25 and 45, were discovered to be working in exploited circumstances, and are now being looked after by the Salvation Army.
As of yet no arrests have been made, and police enquiries are on-going.
Detective Sgt Rob Findlay said: “These raids, further to others last week, again reinforce the reality that the net on human trafficking is indeed getting tighter.
“It also further emphasises our commitment as a force to fully investigate and robustly deal with this type of crime which sees people used as commodities.
“Operations like the one today simply aren’t possible without the information we get provided by our communities so I would always urge anyone with information on something they think is suspicious to report it, either to Wiltshire Police on 101 or direct to the our unit (Human Exploitation Team) on 01225 794630."
Alternatively people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Major Anne Read, The Salvation Army's anti-trafficking response co-ordinator, said: "The Salvation Army is working with Wiltshire Police to rescue and support potential victims of trafficking. It is vital that victims of trafficking receive immediate access to specialised support.
“Our team has been working to assess the needs of the victims and ensure that they have access to accommodation and support at safe houses if needed.
"The Salvation Army operates a Government contract to provide vital help and support to adult victims of this pitiless exploitation which gives them the very best chance to try and recover through the comprehensive specialised services we can offer working with our partners.”
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