The suspects, a group of Pakistani nationals, were arrested after being suspected of 'caporalato' or gangmaster exploitation of a group of Pakistani and Bangladeshi migrants. Italian authorities often discover migrants who are exploited using these criminal systems in the agricultural sector throughout the country.

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This time, the arrests took place in Piombino, Tuscany in central Italy. The Carabinieri officers began an investigation last year in May, 2023 which has appeared to uncover evidence of exploitation of migrant workers at some agricultural firms in the Tuscan provinces of Livorno and Grosseto.

Unusual volume of traffic at center aroused suspicions

According to investigators, the suspected gangmasters would round up men every day, rotating, from one group of 70 Pakistani and Bangladeshi refugees, hosted at a shelter Le Caravelle in Riotorto in the municipality of Piombino (Livorno), to work in completely exploitative conditions, in agricultural firms in the provinces of Livorno and Grosseto.

The investigation began, Carabinieri officials explained to ANSA, after they became suspicious about the unusual volume of traffic coming back and forth to the Emergency Reception Center, or CAS.

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After investigating for almost a year, ten people were issued with arrest warrants on April 29, although, two of the group are not yet detained because they were abroad at the time the arrests were carried out.

All of the suspects are reportedly Pakistani nationals, between the ages of 30 and 56, and were living in the provinces of Siena and Grosseto.

Operation codenamed 'Bare Feet'

Six of the suspects are reportedly owners of firms who provided migrant labor to the agricultural sector. Four of the suspects allegedly suppported the owners of the firm with recruitment of more workers.

The alleged crimes committed are listed as illicit intermediation and exploitation of labour. The Riotorto Center, formerly a tourist location near the beach, is allegedly where the recruitment took place.

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"We codenamed the operation 'Piedi scalzi' (Bare Feet) because it summarizes the working conditions of the refugees very well," explained Giorgio Poggetti, the Commander of the Operational Unit of the Carabinieri in Piombino.

In a wiretapped conversation, investigators overheard one of the suspects appearing to be worried about harvesting vegetables in fields following heavy rain. Poggetti explained that the second suspect answered: "We send our laborers barefoot, thus avoiding the risk of them getting stuck in the mud with their shoes."

Hourly starvation wages, delayed or in some cases never paid

Carabinieri Commander in the area, Piercarmine Sica explained at a press conference that most of the laborers hired by the suspects were migrants. He said that the suspects took advantage of the migrants' state of need and used them to harvest olives, vegetables, grapes and to clean the vineyards.

They were expected to work ten-hour shifts per day, without adequate breaks and with salaries paid off the books, and way under the minimum wage. In addition, the Carabinieri say they discovered numerous violations of safety norms and hygiene measures at the work premises and found that the workers were not paid for days of leave or holidays.

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The hourly wage varied between three to nine euros approximately, in one case it was as low as 97 cents per hour, say the investigators. The field laborers were also paid late, up to three months, and some never received their salaries at all.

Italy's Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida offered praise to the investigating officers. He said: "The commitment of the Meloni government to fight the exploitation of workers in the agricultural sector is a priority, as demonstrated by the first measure I signed as soon as I took office at the Ministry."