Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Human trafficking boss smuggled men into the UK from Hungary

Human trafficking boss smuggled men into the UK from Hungary

Janos Sztojka, from Braunstone, Leicestershire, 'lived like a king' while keeping a 31-year-old man with learning difficulties as a virtual prisoner over the course of two years.

A human trafficking boss has been jailed for six years after using a man as a slave, disciplining him with a stun gun and making him sleep next to his dogs.

Janos Sztojka, 33, from Braunstone in Leicestershire, 'lived like a king' while keeping a 31-year-old man with learning difficulties as a virtual prisoner over the course of two years, a judge heard.

Janos Sztojka (pictured), from Braunstone in Leicestershire, 'lived like a king'


Video footage captured the moment Sztojka was arrested and his home was raided by police before a stun gun and wads of cash were found.

Sztojka forced his victim to carry out household chores and spent the majority of the money the man earned at a Derby food production factory - including buying a lavish £180 birthday cake for his wife and flights for four other men he trafficked into the UK from Hungary.

Leicester Crown Court heard Sztojka, who used a number of aliases including Johnny Boss, controlled the finances of all five men and made sure they were escorted to and from the factory where he arranged for them to work.

He also forged utility bills to open bank accounts in each of their names - which he then sold via the black market to other crooks who used the accounts to launder around £150,000.

Sztojka also admitted possessing a prohibited item, a Taser-like stun gun, that was seized from his home, which his slavery victim claimed was used to discipline him.

The defendant, who has previous convictions for burglary and money laundering, was deported from the UK in May 2017 but returned soon afterwards.

He then arranged for the Hungarian males, who were between 19 and 56 years old and spoke little English, to come to Leicestershire under the guise of providing them with well-paid jobs.

But the victims' salaries were paid into Onepay card accounts, which were controlled by Sztojka, and they were given only 'a fraction of what they earned'.

The domestic slave victim later told the police Szoska 'took me for an idiot.'

Rufus D'Cruz, prosecuting, said: 'He had no access to cash and was paid in food and cigarettes and sometimes not even that.

Sztojka forced his victim to carry out household chores and spent the majority of the money the man earned at a Derby food production factory. Pictured, a police raid on the house

The defendant, who has previous convictions for burglary and money laundering, was deported from the UK in May 2017. Pictured, during Szojka's arrest


'He wasn't allowed to leave the house, the defendant would lock the door and not let him out and he felt like he was in prison, being monitored by CCTV cameras.

'If he refused to do something he would be shouted at and slapped on the face, leaving him scared, stressed and nervous.

'His sleeping accommodation was shared with three dogs and he described himself as "the fourth dog in the household". He wasn't allowed to eat what, or when, he wanted.'

Footage taken by police of the operation shows dozens of police officers raiding Szojka's home.

One clip shows Sztojka being led away by officers as he was arrested alongside several others.

Another shows a stun gun and police handling wads of cash that was earned by the victims.

Sztojka used a stun gun on his victim on three occasions, pressing the weapon onto his leg over his trousers and once causing him to fall on the floor, leaving him feeling 'hurt and humiliated', the court heard.

The 30,500-volt weapon was recovered by the police and the defendant claimed it was left at his home by 'someone else.'

Between October 2018 and December 2020 neighbours noticed the victim regularly cleaning up outside the house while Sztojka did nothing other than 'strutting around like he was a king.'

They said the victim was often seen 'rushing out to unload the shopping' from the car.

Another witness said the victim was treated 'like a b***h boy', was constantly being shouted at and appeared 'visibly scared'.

His salary payment card was used by the defendant or his partner for purchases in shops such as Boots and at petrol stations in Leicester, often while the victim was busy working.

The offences were discovered when the victims' employment agency and the factory's management reported their concerns about the five Hungarian workers to the government's Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, resulting in an investigation.

Four of the victims, who were living at the home of the defendant's relative in Wigston, were only in the UK for about four months before their 'dark situation' was discovered.

Sztojka was said to come from a 'Romany gypsy background' with no relatives remaining in Hungary. Pictured, money found during a raid on the house

Sztojka also admitted possessing a prohibited item, a Taser-like stun gun (pictured), that was seized from his home, which his slavery victim claimed was used to discipline him


More than £17,000, including £8,000 from the man who was kept as a slave, was stolen from all five men.

Judge Robert Brown told Sztojka: 'The treatment of your victims, in particular one of them, was deplorable.

'He was particularly vulnerable, with learning difficulties, and you had him captive in your household for two years. When he wasn't working in a factory he was performing chores in your home at your behest.

'There was a high degree of deceitfulness towards all five victims as you controlled their pay cards and they were economically trapped.'

He said Sztojka, who has a partner and a small child from a different relationship, would be deported to Hungary at the end of his sentence - for a second time.

Henry James, mitigating, said four of the victims were given a portion of their wages and had not complained about the food or accommodation they were given - and one left the situation of his own free will. He added they were not kept in squalor.

He claimed the defendant fraudulently opened bank accounts in the victims' names to sell on under the instructions of someone else, which he said was the main reason for bringing the men into the country on a short-term basis.

Sztojka was said to come from a 'Romany gypsy background' with no relatives remaining in Hungary.

He was jailed for six years after admitting five counts of facilitating travel of a person with a view to exploitation, one count of requiring someone to perform forced or compulsory labour, one count of making or supplying articles [bogus utility bills] for use in fraud and one count of being concerned in money laundering.

He was also made the subject of a 10-year Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order.

The defendant will face a proceeds of crime confiscation hearing later in the year, with a view to seizing any assets and compensating the victims.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×