Upon arrival in Rio, the victims were blindfolded and taken to the clandestine factory and forced to work like slaves - 12 hours a day, seven days a week, without any breaks.
The factory was in poor condition, with animals, open sewage, and waste from the cigarette production everywhere. Protective equipment was not provided and workers were not paid.
The victims were not allowed to leave the factory and had no contact with the outside world, except for one individual who appeared occasionally to bring them supplies. It was reported that he was always armed and wore a mask.
Workers were rescued and the factory shut down, with all the materials seized and transported to a Federal Revenue’s warehouse.
The factory is said to be a hub of illegal activity, producing counterfeit Paraguayan cigarettes for the black market. To avoid any suspicion of irregular operation, the electricity supply was provided by two large-capacity diesel oil-powered generators.
The victims were overjoyed to be rescued and shortly after returned to their families in Paraguay.
In the first three months of 2023, Brazil rescued 918 people who were working as slaves. This is the highest number of people rescued in the first quarter of a year in the last 15 years. The number of people rescued increased by 124% compared to the same period in the previous year.