A harrowing investigation by Times UK has revealed the chilling depths of modern slavery in Britain, uncovering a criminal enterprise that exploited vulnerable individuals for nearly a decade. Between 2012 and 2019, a Czech-organized crime gang trafficked at least 16 people into forced labor at McDonald’s, car washes, and bread factories across the UK, subjecting them to unimaginable suffering while reaping millions in illicit profits.
Roman Landa, a 45-year-old survivor, shared his ordeal after being trafficked from the Czech Republic. Stripped of his passport and trapped in fear, Landa toiled for over four years at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Cambridgeshire, where his captors pocketed more than £90,000 of his wages. Speaking through an interpreter, Landa recounted being unable to escape: “They said they would kill me if I tried to run.”
Landa was one of many lured with false promises of work. Suffering from homelessness and addiction, he accepted an offer from the gang’s spotters, only to find himself ensnared in a web of coercion. He lived in squalid conditions, worked up to 100 hours a week, and endured physical abuse. His wages were funneled directly to his captors, who lived opulently on the proceeds.
Police estimate the gang, led by brothers Zdenek and Ernest Drevenak, earned £400,000 annually through forced labor. Their victims worked at McDonald’s, pitta bread factories supplying major UK supermarkets, and other sites. Despite working alongside these exploited individuals, employers at McDonald’s and the factories failed to notice—or act upon—clear signs of abuse, including multiple workers with identical addresses and wages paid into a single account.
The gang referred to their victims as “horses” and treated them as commodities. One victim was shot with an air rifle for perceived disobedience, leaving her with lasting injuries. Others endured beatings, threats of mutilation, and surveillance. Survivors reported living in sheds with no heating or water, while the gang displayed their wealth with gold jewelry, luxury cars, and even a Christmas tree adorned with £20 notes.
The operation came to light in 2019 after a 17-year-old victim escaped and informed Czech police. Her testimony prompted an international investigation, culminating in convictions for six gang members. Sentences ranged from four to 13 years for crimes including slavery, human trafficking, and fraud. Yet, for survivors like Landa, justice feels incomplete. “They took my life away,” he lamented.
The case raises troubling questions about oversight. Despite being franchised, McDonald’s failed to identify or prevent exploitation in its supply chain. Similarly, bread factories supplying Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and others overlooked blatant red flags. Both McDonald’s and the defunct factory, Speciality Flatbreads, have since pledged to improve safeguards against modern slavery.
Modern slavery is a hidden epidemic. According to the charity Justice and Care, as many as 100,000 people may be enslaved in the UK today, forced into labor, sex work, and other exploitative conditions. Survivors are often coerced through threats, language barriers, and misinformation about law enforcement.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation, highlighted the insidious nature of these crimes. “These people were held with invisible chains,” he said. “The traffickers preyed on the vulnerable, exploiting their desperation for a better life.”
For Landa and others, freedom remains elusive. Haunted by trauma and fearing retribution, they face an uncertain future. Meanwhile, the shadow of modern slavery continues to darken industries across the UK, demanding vigilance and action to prevent further tragedies.
