'Slaves' worked in factories around Corby under threat of ‘torture’ after being trafficked here by evil crime gang

They were working alongside locals in factories in Corby, and living in plain sight in shared houses across the town.

But a string of vulnerable people had actually been trafficked here from Lithuania, threatened, had their passports removed and their wages stolen.

For more than a year, the victims were living in servitude to an evil couple posing as respected ‘good Samaritans’ to the town’s Lithuanian community, offering jobs and homes to those in need.

Once they arrived in Corby, the victims were forced to open bank accounts and credit agreements in their names and hand over control of them to the pair. They never saw the wages they were due for working those long hours in Corby’s factories.

Lyda Petraviciute, 42, and Laisvydas Urbaitis, 36 were using a network of enforcers and snitches to keep their modern-day slaves quiet while living off their vile profits.

One victim was told she’d be sold as a prostitute and her house burned down if she told anyone, and another has made two suicide attempts since he was rescued. Another was told that Petraviciute was going to marry him so she could get a mortgage.

The pair were yesterday sentenced to nine years in prison for crimes against four victims including trafficking and forced labour offences. Petraviciute sobbed throughout the hearing, watched by her shocked family who were also in tears at hearing the evidence against her.

The court was told that the pair had previously been in a relationship between 2013 and 2017 and despite the end of their tryst, they continued their trafficking partnership between August 2017 and April 2019.

It took police three years to meticulously compile enough evidence to make sure that the pair couldn’t get away with their crimes.

But in October 2021, when police raided Petraviciute’s Bonnington Walk home they discovered a Lidl bag stuffed with 800g of cannabis, plant pots, hydroponic lamps and a CS gas canister.

Then when they burst into Urbaitis’s home in Outfield Close, Great Oakley, they found registration documents for nine cars and bank cards and statements in the names of 32 people.

They also raided Urbaitis’s brother Aurimas’s home in Westminster Walk. He was originally prosecuted alongside the others but the charges were dropped part-way through his trial.

In January, officers uncovered a cannabis house in Sheffield Walk containing 64 plants incubating total of 3.5 kilos of cannabis.

Addresses at Lavender Close, Pages Walk, Argyll Street and Buckfast Square were also part of the network of houses used by the gang.

A web of bank accounts were uncovered as well as insurance documents and credit agreements in many different names.

Hundreds of bank transactions from the victim’s accounts, totalling many thousands of pounds, were made by Petraviciute at shops like The Range and B&M as well as supermarkets across Corby.

Some victims were employed at Fresh Direct and Tayto – although there was no suggestion these companies knew what was going on.

Petraviciute used her links with local recruitment firms to give herself an air of legitimacy, although they are also not thought to have known what she was up to.

Urbaitis used an ‘enforcer’, who himself had been trafficked into the country, to supervise other victims and ensure they weren’t blabbing. One victim suffered serious attack with a bottle. Petraviciute assaulted some of her victims herself.

Northampton Crown Court heard that Petraviciute came to Corby in 2005 with her uncle and had done cleaning jobs and opened a shop in Pytchley Court.

Urbaitis arrived in the town 14 years ago and had initially done factory work before going on to become an HGV driver with IBM.

Mitigating for Petraviciute, barrister Ekwall Singh-Tiwana said his client had no criminal record and that there was only evidence of ‘minimal’ violence.

She had become a grandmother for the first time while in jail, where she had become a ‘trusted prisoner’ with various jobs including welcoming new inmates and working on the reception desk.

In mitigation for Urbaitis, the court heard he had a previous conviction for theft in Lithuania. He had been working as a driver in the UK and was a father and stepfather.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said: “(One victim) described his treatment as torture.

"You treated him as your personal servant, humiliating him.

"You’re not the good Samaritans in the Lithuanian community you claim to be.”

Petraviciute was found guilty of one count of trafficking and two counts of compulsory labour. Urbaitis was found guilty of two counts of trafficking and one count of compulsory labour.

The pair will serve at least two thirds of their nine-year sentence before they will be eligible for release on licence.

Lead investigator DS Sharon Drage, said: “I would like to commend the bravery of the victims for their support throughout our investigation. For too long they were controlled by this gang and I’m pleased that they are now free and can now move forward with a better life.

“I also want to thank the Lithuanian Police and Courts for their assistance with this investigation – without their support and cooperation, this trial would not have gone ahead.

“And finally, I would like to pay tribute to Justice and Care Victim Navigators who have supported both the victims and the police during this investigation.

Senior investigating officer and Head of Serious and Organised Crime DCI Nick Cobley, said: “This investigation has been a significant investment by Northamptonshire Police, lasting over three years and really shows our commitment and intent to identify these hidden organised crime groups and stop this horrendous criminality from occurring.

“I want to commend the Serious and Organised Crime Team and particularly DS Drage and DC James Adkins on this investigation. Their teamwork, focus and dedication shown over a number of years has been vital in securing these sentences and ensuring justice for the victims.”