International investigation identifies over 70 potential victims exploited in Indian restaurants

International investigation identifies over 70 potential victims exploited in Indian restaurants Coordinated action across five EU countries uncovers human trafficking ring generating at least EUR 4 million in profits Europol supported a Dutch-led international investigation into human trafficking for labour exploitation of mainly Indian nationals in the restaurant sector. Law enforcement and labour authorities from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland participated in the operation. The coordinated action conducted on 18 September 2026 led to two arrests. Allegedly, the traffickers forced their victims to work up to 16 hours per day, underpaid them and impeded them from leaving the country. It is estimated that the criminal network generated at least EUR 4 million in illicit profits by underpaying and exploiting the workers. Investigators suspect that the same criminal activities took place in other restaurants part of or associated to the Indian restaurant chain, in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Switzerland. It is believed that the suspects have pressured the victims and their families in India, and used psychological coercion to force the victims to working harder and to prevent them from complaining to the authorities. Coordinated actions across several EU Member States The involved authorities conducted coordinated actions and inspected restaurants in several countries: - 8 in the Netherlands; - 7 in Germany; - 2 in Luxembourg; - 2 in Switzerland; - 1 in Belgium. Investigation launched in the Netherlands The action was steered from a coordination centre established in Utrecht, the Netherlands. This investigation started when inspectors of the Dutch Labour Authority (Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie) discovered serious abuses during several inspections. A criminal investigation was subsequently initiated by the Criminal Investigation Department (Opsporingsdienst) under the authority of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation (Functioneel Parket). The suspects are believed to have abused a legal provision aimed at facilitating work within the branch of Asian catering, which has since expired, on a large scale. This provision allowed companies to bring specialist Asian chefs from abroad to the Netherlands via a relatively simple process. The investigation revealed that more than 70 combined work and residence permits were issued in response to the applications submitted by the three Indian restaurant chains. Not chefs, but dishwashers or cleaners The conditions of these permits are presumed to have been breached in dozens of cases. For example, some of the foreign nationals who came to the Netherlands were not employed as specialist chefs, but as dishwashers, cleaners, waiting staff, or as restaurant managers. They did not receive the wage they should have received according to the official regulations. It is suspected that the employees worked far more than the permitted hours per week, often 60 to 80 hours per week, spread across six or seven days. Forced labour and pressure to comply It is believed the victims did not receive any additional remuneration for the hours beyond the permitted weekly hours. The investigation indicated that this may have occurred on a regular basis. As a result, the suspects are believed to have illegally acquired over EUR 4 million in profit. The investigations showed that employees were forced to perform heavy physical labour under exploitative conditions and in some cases faced ‘bond’ or penalty contracts in case of early departure, pressure on the family in their homeland, and threat of violence. Europol’s support Europol planned and co-organised the operation with the participating countries. It facilitated seamless information exchange and ensured coordination of the actions undertaken across different jurisdictions. A human trafficking expert was deployed to the coordination centre in Utrecht, supporting with real-time data collection and analysis. In addition to serving as the central hub for intelligence sharing and coordination, Europol’s experts will continue to map and trace the flow of illicit proceeds generated by the criminal network. Empact The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the EU. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities.