The identification of these people as victims of the crime of trafficking in human beings was carried out following an inspection carried out by SEF during the week in the westernmost area of the district of Faro aimed at “confirming the address of some foreign citizens” in a residence, indicated SEF in a statement.

“It was found that the six citizens were enticed from their country of origin with the promise of work in Portugal in agriculture, with the right to accommodation and subsequent legalization, with each immigrant paying 13,000 euros for the process”.

The Foreigners and Borders Service underlined that the information collected led to the conclusion that “these citizens had to resort to credit and help from family members to gather the necessary money” to pay the elements of the illegal network that was in charge of the trip to Portugal.

When SEF inspectors began the inspection to confirm the address, “they found that 24 foreign citizens, of Indostani origin, were staying in the same house” and were alerted “to the vulnerable situation of a group of five citizens who shared a room there.”, said the security service.

The same source added that the inspectors found that "five citizens have been in Portugal for four months, holding work visas", and confirmed "the signs" that these men were "victims of trafficking in human beings".

The five immigrants were “sent to Faro, where technicians from the Association for Family Planning (APF), belonging to a Specialized Multidisciplinary Team, interviewed them and flagged them as victims”, being “guaranteed help and protection”.