Two men have been charged as part of a joint operation between Norfolk police, Suffolk police and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

Arrests were made on Wednesday by officers investigating people trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.

Those arrested in Suffolk included a 30-year-old man from Norwich who was found by police in Bury St Edmunds. A 37-year-old woman from Ipswich was arrested in the town, also on suspicion of trafficking and supplying unlicensed workers. Both will face no further police action.

Police also executed a warrant in Great Yarmouth which resulted in a number of arrests. All the individuals were from the local area and involved in vegetable and meat processing.

Three were charged yesterday: Konstantin Sasmurin, 32 and Linus Ratautas, 29, both from Yarmouth Road, Caister-on-Sea were charged with acting as a gangmaster without a licence, holding a person in slavery or servitude or requiring a person to perform forced/compulsory labour, trafficking people for exploitation and money laundering.

Evelina Perekriostovai, 22 and also from Yarmouth Road in Caister-on-Sea was charged with money laundering.

They have all been released on police bail and will appear at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on April 1.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.