The National Police have arrested five people in Alicante, all of them of Indian origin, for the alleged labor exploitation from the staff of the luxury fashion accessories factory Stalwart, based in the Elche Business Park (Alicante). According to sources close to the investigation, the victims, of the same nationality, were captured in their country of originwhere they were offered a salary of “400 or 500 euros per month, approximately double what they would earn” in India. In exchange, they participated in shifts of “10 to 14 hours a day” with only one day of weekly rest, while their Spanish colleagues, who performed the same functions, had working conditions subject to current legislation, “as in any similar firm.” normal”. The police operation, carried out by the Immigration and Borders brigade of the Alicante police station, resulted in five arrests between October 8 and 9 and among those arrested would be the owner of the company, Lovy Koshla, according to sources. consulted.
The investigation began after a complaint from two of the Hindu employees of the company, which opened its headquarters in Elche in 2021. In it, they reported their precarious working conditions. “They were tricked into bringing them in,” the same sources say, “with the incentive of earning close to 500 euros,” much more than any worker earns in India. However, upon arriving here, “at least eight victims,” according to investigators, were given differential and abusive treatment. From Monday to Saturday, they spent up to 14 hours at their jobs, of which “they could only be absent for 20 minutes to eat,” they said at police headquarters, already protected as protected witnesses. “They didn’t let them smoke or drink and they had a dress code, whereby they could only go to the factory with long pants and sneakers,” never sandals. During the first year, “they could not enjoy any vacation period” and, in the event that they fell ill, “their work day was deducted if they were absent.” And, finally, “they were not allowed to speak with Spanish employees”, probably so that they could not compare their working conditions.
Nor during their free time could they escape the surveillance of their employers. “The victims were crammed into up to five apartments,” all located in the Elche district of Torrellano. “As soon as they arrived in Spain, they took away their documentation,” as demonstrated by a search carried out in the company’s offices, where the victims’ passports and other papers were hidden in a drawer. They could not move freely, but had to report their comings and goings to those responsible for the firm, “they needed permission to leave the house.” “And some of them declared that on Sundays they had to go clean the cars” on behalf of the company management. “For their expenses,” they continue, “they were given some money weekly that they then deducted from their salary.” After collecting all this information, the agents of the Alicante Immigration and Borders brigade began to investigate and discovered that another of the victims had filed a similar complaint at the Elche police station.
The investigators surrounded the headquarters of the company, dedicated to the manufacture, storage and distribution of bags and other fabric and leather accessories for brands such as Louis Vuitton, according to the sources consulted. As reported at the time, Stalwart was established in Elche through the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (Ivace), in 2021, at a time when the Indian company, which wanted to expand its European market, encountered major freight and transportation problems. in general due to the post-pandemic crisis. Initially, they landed in the Elche industrial park, located a stone’s throw from the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport, with a hundred workers, although as time went by they announced their intention to hire about 500 more, including , showcases of the footwear sector. According to the police investigation carried out this month, they currently have at least 200 Spanish workers. The number of Hindus has not been revealed. The agents were also able to verify that Stalwart is dedicated to the manufacture of fashion accessories and that it is subcontracted by top-level companies “such as Louis Vuitton,” say the same sources.
On October 8, the first arrests took place, all of them at the factory headquarters. A day later, the police arrested the fifth detainee at the airport, after getting off a flight. The five are between 28 and 56 years old, are of Hindu nationality and were placed at the disposal of a court in Elche, which processes the proceedings. They are accused of the alleged crimes of trafficking in human beings for the purposes of labor exploitation, against workers’ rights, coercion and threats, and membership in a criminal organization.
