A recruitment agency bringing workers from eastern Europe to work in various businesses in Cork was a front for a human trafficking operation, it was alleged by gardaí as they charged two men with a series of offences following an investigation into labour exploitation in the county.
Slovakians Ladislav Bubencik (32), with an address at Railway Road, Charleville, Co Cork, and Marian Vavrek (46), with an address at Kontiki, Rooskey, Co Roscommon, were each charged with three counts of human trafficking within the state in relation to three separate injured parties.
Both men are charged with human trafficking offences.
Mr Bubencik is also charged with 20 counts of money launderingwhile Mr Vavrek is charged with one count of money laundering .
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Both men were charged on Thursday at Midleton District Court where Det Gda Shane O’Donoghue and Det Sgt Kevin McCarthy of the Cork County Protective Services Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to both accused.
Court presenter, Sgt Linda O’Leary said that gardaí were objecting to bail and Det Gda O’Donoghue outlined garda objections to bail for Mr Bubencik, citing the seriousness of the human trafficking charges which carry life imprisonment, and the money laundering charges, which carry 14 years.
Det Garda O’Donoghue said that he was also opposing bail on the grounds that he feared that Mr Bubencik would commit further offences including interfering with witnesses in the case if granted bail while accepting that the three people named in the charges were no longer living in Ireland.
He said Mr Bubencik was operating a recruitment agency, L & B Recruitment from his home at Railway Road in Charleville but which he believed was “trying to be the legitimate face of a human trafficking operation” bringing vulnerable people to work in various businesses in North Cork.
Det Gda O’Donoghue said gardaí had obtained evidence including CCTV footage and Facebook messages showing that Mr Bubencik had paid for the flights of the three named people in the human trafficking charges, was involved in collecting them from the airport and arranged accommodation for them.
He said that all three were vulnerable people, one having been raised in an orphanage in Slovakia, none had any English and were dependent on Mr Bubencik to arrange employment, accommodation and transport to work for them, through people associated with L & B recruitment.
Det Garda O’Donoghue said Mr Bubencik, who was sending €500 a month to an account in Slovakia was a member of a large family network with members in Ireland, the UK and Slovakia and “it is my belief that he is the head of this organised crime group.”
Cross-examined by Mr Bubencik’s solicitor, Charlie O’Connor, Det Garda O’Donoghue accepted that Mr Bubencik had denied all the allegations of human trafficking and money laundering when they were put to him at interview and when they were put to him as charges.
Earlier in objecting to bail for Mr Vavrek, Det Sgt McCarthy said a number of foreign nationals, mainly Slovakian but also Czech, moved to North Cork between 2021 and 2024 and some were involved in various levels of criminality, including human trafficking for labour exploitation.
“This involves paying for people to come to Ireland, giving them accommodation and obtaining employment for them. There have been reports of people coming to Ireland on this promise – however once they arrive, their travel documents are taken from them, and their pay withheld.”
Solicitor for Mr Vavrek, Denis Linehan said that his client would deny any involvement in human trafficking and he was regarded by many of his countrymen as “a father figure” as evidenced by the fact that many of them – whom he regarded as “his sons” – had turned up in court to support him.
Judge John King said that he had concerns about the strength of evidence against both accused while he also believed that gardaí had failed to meet the threshold necessary for him to refuse bail over fears they might interfere with witnesses, given all three injured parties no longer lived in Ireland.
He remanded both men in custody with consent to bail on their own bonds of €600 and two independent sureties of €20,000 with several conditions including that they reside at addresses provided to gardaí and sign on twice daily at their local garda stations in Cork and Roscommon.
He also ordered them to surrender passports, not apply for any replacements, provide gardaí with a mobile phone number on which they can be contacted 24/7 and that they have no contact, direct or indirect with witnesses and he remanded them to appear at Mallow District Court on March 12th.
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