A SUSPECTED human trafficking victim has died after a fire at a cannabis factory in the West Midlands.
Emergency services were scrambled to the blaze broke in Brierley Hill on Thursday night – with two men pulled from the unit.
A 43-year-old man died from his injuries after the cannabis factory fire in Brierley Hill on Thursday[/caption]
Tragically, a 43-year-old victim died from his injuries.
The other man, in his 20s, was also taken to hospital.
And West Midlands Police have now launched an investigation after revealing the men had been trafficked into the UK from abroad and had been held against their will.
A spokesperson said: “The unit, used to grow cannabis on an industrial scale, was locked meaning these men had no way to escape the fire, which tragically lead to one man’s death.”
Authorities are now working to establish just what caused the fire.
Detective Inspector Jim Mahon from force CID said: “A man has sadly died and we’re working to establish the full circumstances of what happened.
“We are urgently appealing for anyone with information about who is involved in exploiting these men, and involved in the set up to contact us.
“We know there was a drone flying over the unit when the fire first broke out, so we are appealing to the owner of the drone to contact us directly, as the footage recorded may hold vital information in our investigation.
“In order to make the site safe and to recover vital evidence, we have had to suspend power to the trading estate. I want to thank anyone affected by this power outage for their co-operation.”
Superintendent Jason Anderson of Dudley Neighbourhood Policing Unit said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has tragically lost his life in these awful circumstances. We will be supporting detectives leading this enquiry anyway we can.
“A cannabis factory was discovered at the unit and we now believe these vulnerable men were trafficked into the UK and criminally exploited.
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“We understand the concerns and harm that drugs cause in our communities and we continue to work tirelessly with partners to prevent organised criminality and the exploitation of vulnerable people in this way.”
Anyone with footage, or any information, no matter how small it may seem, is urged to contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101.
Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Please quote log number 3969 of 4 June.
Police fear the two men caught in the fire had been trafficked to the UK[/caption]
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