2 Men Charged With Human Trafficking At Middlesex County Slaughterhouse: US Attorney

PERTH AMBOY, NJ— Two men were charged with human trafficking for forcing employees to work at a Halal chicken slaughterhouse in Middlesex County, US Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

Mohammad Abdul Wahid, 54, of Queens, NY, and Mohammed Iqbal Kabir, 42, of Bronx, NY, were charged for their role in running a Halal chicken slaughterhouse in Perth Amboy, where US Attorneys say they violated labor laws and committed human trafficking.

“The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice on behalf of vulnerable victims of human trafficking,” Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. “The Civil Rights Division commends the District of New Jersey, as one of our six Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams (ACTeam), for its leadership on the front lines of shared efforts to hold human traffickers accountable.”

The factory, which was in operation between July 2011 and January 2016, employed only Muslim workers, a requirement of Halal meats. The workers, who were undocumented, were paid approximately $290 a week for 70-100 hours of work over six or seven days.

Proper saftey equipment, such as gloves, masks or soap, was not provided to employees. When employees complained, Wahid and Kabir threatened to call the police. The employees did not further their complaints over deportation fears.

Employees lived in a boarding house near the factory, and a $40 weekly rent was automatically deducted from their paychecks. According to US Attorneys, the house did not have heat or hot water, and was infested with bugs.

“This is precisely the kind of case the ACTeams were designed to investigate and prosecute,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said in a statement. “The criminal complaint against these defendants describes conduct that is as inhumane as it is illegal. By bringing to bear the resources of multiple law enforcement agencies with expertise on human trafficking, we can work more effectively to combat these kinds of crimes.”

Wahid and Kabir are charged with with one count each of conspiracy to commit forced labor (human trafficking); conspiracy to harbor undocumented persons for financial gain; and violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

If convicted, the pair face steep fines and lengthy jail sentences: they could face up to 30 years in prison and have to pay $510,000 each.

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