Slavery: Costa Rican police free 36 Asians from "modern slavery"

Costa Rican police have freed 36 Asians from “inhumane” conditions aboard two fishing boats operated by a foreign shipping company.

15 Vietnamese, 13 Indonesians, five Filipinos, two Taiwanese and a Chinese national — were forced to work for 20 hours a day, given little food and given lashes as punishment, officials told La Nacion newspaper.

“They were in completely unsanitary, inhumane, overcrowded [conditions],” said Jorge Rojas Vargas, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ).

“This is modern slavery,” director of migration Mario Zamora was quoted as saying.

The owners of the fishing boats were not identified, but authorities said two Taiwanese men and a Costa Rican were arrested in the operation.

Authorities are investigating the case as suspected human trafficking

Agencies

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