‘YOU could be saving lives.’

That’s the message on World Day Against Human Trafficking as communities are urged to play their part in the fight against the crime.

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and national crime commissioner lead on human trafficking and modern slavery has spoken out to encourage people to report any suspicious behaviour.

He said: “One of our best tools in the fight against human traffickers are our communities. We need our communities to report any suspicions, no matter how small.General indicators of human trafficking or modern slavery can include signs of physical or psychological abuse, fear of authorities, poor living conditions and working long hours for little or no pay.

“It can be an easy crime to overlook, it’s nice to get a cheaper price on goods and services, but it’s so important to stop and think about the human cost. Why is this product so cheap? Why does the member of staff look so tired? Why are their clothes so dirty?

“It’s also a common misconception that people who have been trafficked can just walk away. Victims often don’t speak English, they have their passports, money and other documents taken away from them, and if they even think about leaving they have the constant threat of physical violence, and even worse, very real threats on their families back home.”

In March last year, David Zielinski, a key member of a ruthless slavery gang that trafficked “desperate” victims to Bradford and “dehumanised” them was jailed.

He was labelled by Judge Jonathan Rose as “an able and willing lieutenant” for the family firm ‘Zielinski and Sons’, which trawled the streets of their native Poland to find poor and desperate people to exploit in the UK. The jury heard that Zielinski’s victims were left languishing in crowded and unfurnished accommodation in Bradford and scavenging on the city’s streets.

Mr Burns-Williamson added: “Traffickers are masters of exploitation and coercion. They deploy simple but effective tactics to reinforce the perception of an inescapable situation for the victims. All of this added up makes human trafficking and modern slavery exceptionally complex and demanding crimes to investigate and stop, and relies heavily on partners working together. If you see anything that you think may be human trafficking or modern slavery, please report it, you could literally be saving lives.”

Call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700 or report anything suspicious to the police.