Carlisle Crown Court Sentencing Results

Ross Coates, of no fixed address, was involved in supplying Class A drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as Class B drugs like ketamine and cannabis, in the Kendal area last year. Officers from Cumbria’s Community Serious and Organised Crime unit conducted an extensive investigation, including warrants, which identified him as a supplier. He was also charged with two counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

Defrim Paci orchestrated a modern slavery ring that trafficked Romanian workers to the UK and forced them to work long hours at a car wash on Warwick Road in Carlisle. Workers endured dire conditions, including using chemicals without protective clothing, which caused burns, and were housed in rat-infested accommodation. They were paid as little as £20 per week despite working up to 11 hours a day, six days a week, during a period spanning 2016 and 2017.

Sitar Ali managed a car wash in Carlisle where trafficked Romanian workers were exploited, forced to work long hours without proper breaks or time off, and paid minimally despite gruelling conditions. Workers reported chemical burns from unsafe practices and poor living conditions, describing their experiences as horrific and describing it as one of the worst periods of their lives. This exploitation occurred as part of a criminal enterprise active from 2016 to 2017.