Two directors of a Nepal-based recruitment agency were handed a “Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order” by the UK’s Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, which announced the order on 3 January.

The order was issued against Resham Gurung and Pravin Rimal, who are listed as chairmen of Adept and Agile, a company based in Nepal.

Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders are issued to restrict the activities of individuals who pose a serious risk of otherwise committing slavery or trafficking offences, according to the GLAA. The order is in place for 18 months.

Adept and Agile’s licence was also suspended, the GLAA reported. That means the company can no longer supply workers into the UK’s regulated sectors of agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering or any associated processing and packaging.

The GLAA stepped up investigation of the company after discussions with 85 workers on two visits to a meat processing factory in South Yorkshire in October 2022.

Workers told the GLAA that they had paid job-finding fees of up to £13,000 to Adept and Agile while they were still in Nepal. Some had taken out loans to pay the fee, while others said they had put up their homes or businesses as security for the loan. Work-finding fees are explicitly banned under the GLAA licensing standards.

Some of the workers added that they had been told not to speak about the payments; otherwise, they could lose their jobs and be sent back to Nepal.

Under the order, Gurung and Rimal are now prevented from arranging anyone’s travel into or out of England other than their own children. They must also not arrange travel or transport for anyone to and from their place of work. In addition, they must not act as gangmasters and are prevented from arranging employment for anyone else.

Further restrictions on the pair prevent them from renting or subletting any property, rooms, premises or buildings which they either own or control, according to the GLAA. They are also forbidden from procuring, coercing or instructing anyone else to carry out any of the restrictions listed above on their behalf.