AN Argyll hotel owner who trafficked workers from Bangladesh and forced them into "modern day slavery" has been jailed for three years.

Shamsul Arefin took large sums of money from four men in exchange for hiring them, only to reduce their salary to a fraction of the amount agreed when they arrived at the Stewart Hotel, near Appin.

The victims were forced to work excessively long hours in poor conditions and were threatened with dismissal if they complained.

At Fort William Sheriff Court on Friday, Arefin, 47, who no longer owns the hotel, was sentenced to three years imprisonment after being convicted of trafficking the men between 2008 and 2010.

Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Kevin Hyland OBE said: "The victims of these particular crimes endured exploitation and abuse many thought was a distant memory of the past.

"This is a clear case of modern day slavery and I commend the bravery of the four men who gave evidence at the trial.

"I hope that receiving justice in the courts assists in their journey of recovery."

The court heard that Arefin, a Bangladesh native, offered the men jobs as chefs in the hotel and promised them a decent salary.

The victims sold valuables, used savings and took on loans to pay the large sums of money he demanded from them - cash Arefin claimed was a "deposit" which would be returned to them if they remained in his employment for five years.

However, on arrival at the hotel, their salary was drastically cut and their working hours went well beyond those stated in their contract.

The men found that their duties also extended beyond the kitchen, with Arefin forcing them to paint the hotel, clean rooms and cut and move logs in the hotel grounds in freezing winter temperatures.

The poor pay left the men struggling to repay the debt they had taken on to come to Scotland and in one case a victim told the court that money lenders in Bangladesh had threatened to remove his kidney.

The crimes, which came to light following an investigation by the UK Border Agency and the then Northern Constabulary, have left the men emotionally scarred, still struggling with the burden of debt while separated from their families in Bangladesh.

Kath Harper, the Crown’s National Lead Prosecutor for human trafficking, said: "Arefin’s greed had life-changing implications not just for his victims, but for their families and others who supported them.

"Human trafficking can come in many forms and as prosecutors we are committed to doing all we can do eradicate it from Scotland."

Detective Inspector Richard Baird added: "Human trafficking is a despicable crime where the offenders prey on desperate people who travel to the UK under the premise of a better life and available work.

"Shamsul Arefin was driven by financial greed and held no regard for the working conditions of those in his employment. This was apparent by the poor condition that his victims were subject to through working long hours at no extra pay and often with substandard equipment and working supplies.

"In bringing this individual to justice we have disrupted, if not dismantled, one more illegal enterprise and hopefully saved other potential victims from inevitable suffering."