DIICOT has dismantled a criminal group in Covasna County, led by a woman, which recruited and exploited vulnerable people through forced labor.

According to DIICOT, a criminal group active between March 2025 and August 2026, in Covasna County and Germany, has been dismantled.

The group, led by a woman, recruited vulnerable individuals through deception and coercion, transporting them to the communes of Brateș and Zăbala, as well as to the town of Covasna, where they were exploited through forced labor. The victims, coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, were forced to work without pay, in inhumane conditions, with a work schedule of up to 16 hours a day. The defendants confiscated their identity documents to control them and resorted to violence to prevent them from contacting the authorities.

Prosecutors conducted searches, confiscating documents and luxury cars, and proposed the preventive arrest of the five group members for human trafficking and forced labor. The female leader of the group is also accused of cyber crimes.