'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
Berlin — German police raided Chinese restaurants across the country on Monday on suspicion that workers are being lured to the West under false pretences and made to toil under inhumane conditions.
More than 1,300 police officers and customs officials took part in the raids on more than 170 Chinese eateries and apartments, Frank Federeau, a spokesman for police in the state of Lower Saxony coordinating the operation, told AFP.
Police believe that criminal gangs have brought around 1,000 Chinese to Germany over the past decade, taking away their passports and forcing them to work 80 to 90 hours per week, according to the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung daily.
The report said that restaurant owners have even been given catalogues from which they can choose workers from China and pay 10,000 euros (14,000 dollars) to the gangs. The employees are then paid around three euros per hour.
AFP/Expatica