A convicted human trafficker hunted by authorities after vanishing from his Perthshire home was eventually caught at a police traffic stop.
Gangmaster Remus Groza has been monitored since his conviction following a trial in 2019.
A jury heard how he paid workers just a pound a day and forced them to live in squalor on a diet of potatoes.
The father-of-four was ordered to carry out unpaid work – “poetic justice,” according to the sheriff – but was also made subject to a rare Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention Order (TEPO).
It aims to protect the public by banning Groza from providing accommodation to anyone other than close family, as well as monitoring his whereabouts.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how police lost track of Groza after he flew to Romania.
They turned up at his registered address in Rattray, Blairgowrie, and found new occupants in the flat.
He was only found weeks later when he was pulled over by traffic police.
Possessions seized by council
Groza returned to the dock and pled guilty to failing to comply with the requirements of his TEPO by failing to tell authorities about a change of address within 48 hours, between September 23 and October 23 last year.
Fiscal depute Stuart Duncan, prosecuting, said: “On June 30 2021, information was received by Police Scotland that the accused was re-entering the UK at Edinburgh Airport.”
When he landed, he gave his registered address at a flat in Taypark Place, Rattray.
“Police attended at the address on July 4 2021 and Mr Groza was shown a copy of the order, the requirements of which were reiterated to him.”
Mr Duncan said: “In April 2023, management of the accused was passed to the divisional serious and organised crime team.
“They ascertained that the accused had not been seen since the police visit to the address in July 2021.
“Officers attended on April 27 2023. There were new occupants there who had no knowledge of the accused.”
Further investigations found Groza had earlier abandoned the property and his possessions were collected by the council in November 2022.
The court heard Groza had gone to Romania after his mother died but came back to the UK in September 2023.
The fiscal depute said: “On October 23 2023, the accused was stopped by road traffic officers.
“They became aware that he was subject to this order.”
When arrested, Groza confirmed he was now living with his family at Causewayend, Coupar Angus.
“He openly admitted he failed to notify police,” said Mr Duncan.
An inadvertent oversight
Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, said her client had been complying with bail conditions since his arrest.
“He is required to sign on at a police station every week.
“He has done that. If he was someone who was trying to evade authorities, he wouldn’t be showing up there every Friday.”
The court heard Groza is now working as a delivery driver on a zero hours contract.
“Mr Groza apologies to the court,” Ms Clark said.
“He has been careful throughout with this order.”
She said her client had simply forgotten to notify police about his new address.
“This was not deliberate,” she said. “It was an inadvertent oversight.”
Sheriff Derek Reekie told Groza: “These are clearly very serious requirements.
“But I do take account there has been no previous breach and you have complied with everything since.
“There was no suggestion this was to allow other offences to be perpetrated.”
He said: “The whole purpose of these orders is to offer the public protection through monitoring.
“In these particular circumstances, I will deal with this by way of a financial penalty.”
Groza was fined £900.
The court heard his prevention order expires in January.
Lured by promise of better future
Jurors found Groza guilty of transporting two men from Glasgow Airport and harbouring them in Perth before taking them to surrounding farms for work.
He over-charged the duo for rent, utilities and transport under the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015.
The men had been promised jobs which would give them a better future but they said they realised they were being exploited when given squalid shared accommodation in Perth.
They had no bedding in the flat in the city’s Rannoch Road and Groza made large deductions from their wages to cover accommodation and transport costs.
The two men said they were left with the equivalent of around £1 per day for doing full-time agricultural work and could not afford to eat anything other than potatoes.
The prevention order was put in place for three years but later extended to the maximum five.
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