POLICE on a modern day slavery raid discovered four migrants at a Rishton car wash working ten-hour days for £30.

Details of three Romanians being allegedly paid less than half the minimum wage and an Iranian refugee illegally being employed are being investigated by tax and immigration officials following the swoop.

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The operation, codenamed ‘Eagle’, also saw a house being search in Nelson following the rescue of a Polish couple last week.

In addition to the swoops by a team of 25 police, immigration staff and officers from the gangmasters licensing authority, there were also seven visits to larger employers to remind them of the law.

Detective Inspector Nick Hodgeson said: “Slavery is not just something from the 16th and 17th centuries, it is happening here and now in East Lancashire on people’s doorsteps.

“We are finding vulnerable people trapped in inhumane and degrading conditions that are worse than the Victorian era.”

The ‘Day of Action’ in Lancashire Police’s East Division followed the strengthening of law with the Modern Slavery Act last month.

The first morning raid was on the Rishton Car Wash and Valeting Centre in Manchester Road after intelligence that migrant workers were living in a caravan on site and working long hours.

The team discovered three Romanians and and an Iranian Kurdish Asylum seeker who told officers they had worked there for between two weeks and three months.

The Romanians - Stoica-Mahia Caloiqu, Petru Gretu and Maruis-Cozin Vilcu - said they were paid £30 in cash for working from 8am to 6pm up to seven days a week by owner Daria Rahman, police confirmed.

This is £3 a hour. The legal minimum wage is £6.50 an hour for adults.

They told police they paid Mr Rahman £300 a week rent for a house in George Street Rishton.

The Iranian Kurd, Amir Sufizadeh, told officers he also worked for £30 a day for a 10 hour shift.

He said: “There are problems being a Kurd in Iran.”

Immigration officials confirmed he was a registered asylum seeker with no right to work in the UK.

Following the raid Mr Rahman, an Iraqi Kurd living in Bradford, said: “I have only had the car wash for two weeks. The Romanians come and go and are receiving training. They only work three or four hours a day.

“I am helping the Iranian by allowing him to live in the caravan. He does not work.”

The visit to a shop in Burnley, followed concerns about a young Brazilian woman. Officers said they were satisfied there was nothing untoward.

The raid on a large residential property in Manchester Road, Nelson, followed the April rescue of a Polish couple (a 28-year-old male and 24-year-old female) living in a garden shed and working as domestic slaves.

Then a 49-year-old woman was arrested, interviewed and bailed.

The frightened couple were taken to a safe place, interviewed and made a complaint of domestic slavery against the family.

Yesterday’s raid was to execute a search warrant and arrest a 61-year-old man and a man in his thirties.

DI Hodgeson said: “This was a successful operation to try and rescue innocent victims often lured into servitude by promises of accommodation and well paid jobs and to track down the perpetrators.

“We are now seeking to arrest a couple from Nelson and will pass on details of the Rishton car wash to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Health and Safety Executive.

“We also want to raise awareness of modern slavery and urge anyone who knows anything about it to contact us.

“The larger businesses were very co-operative.”

In 2013, there were 1,746 referrals to the police relating to victims of human trafficking, up 47 per cent on 2012.