The group of Indian farmhands are believed to have been forced to work for up to 12 hours a day without pay and in dire conditions.

The two alleged gangmasters are also alleged to have taken away the workers' passports.

They did not allow them to leave their lodgings and threatened them with physical abuse, investigators said.

The alleged gangmasters face charges of enslavement and illicit labor intermediation as well as exploitation.

Their pre-trial detention was requested by prosecutors investigating the case and granted by a preliminary investigations judge in Verona over the serious risk that the suspects could otherwise destroy evidence.

'Free' labor in exchange for work permit

The two suspects were already known to the finance police, as a month ago their names were flagged in another investigation into tax evasion.

Police searched the premises in July as part of an investigation and seized 475,000 euros from the suspects, who own two farms but officially have no employees.

The investigations revealed that the 33 farmhands had allegedly been asked to pay 17,000 euros in exchange for permission to enter Italy and a receive seasonal job permit.

Many had to go into debt in private or within the gang involved in the scheme, according to initial findings.

But once the workers reached Italy, they were forced to work for free for 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Their pay of 4 euros per hour was kept by the gang so they could repay the debt, investigators said.

In some cases even once the money was paid back, the gangmasters allegedly asked for an additional payment of up to 13,000 euros for the Indian nationals to receive a permanent work permit.

This, however, was never granted.