A YORK man has been given a lengthy jail sentences for his role in trafficking a vulnerable boy into slave labour at a cannabis farm.

Usmaan Tasif, 26, of Bishopthorpe Road, York, who transported the 14-year-old child to the Bradford drugs factory in a white Mercedes, was locked up for three years and four months.

Zain Bashir, 25, of Aireville Avenue, Frizinghall, who committed the offence for a free bag of drugs, was jailed for four years and nine months.

Both pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the travel of the Vietnamese boy on January 23 with a view to him being exploited, contrary to the Modern Slavery Act.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson told Bradford Crown Court that the child was sold into slavery in Vietnam and transported to China.

He was then brought to the United Kingdom in a lorry and rescued by the authorities from a cannabis farm in Bradford in November last year.

The child was settled with a loving foster family in the area but went missing. A large-scale CCTV trawl showed him getting into the Mercedes.

The court heard that Tasif was driving the car and Bashir was a passenger.
After the boy was left at the house for a few days, he was dropped off near his home, the court was told on December 21.

Both defendants refused to provide the pass codes to their phones but the police managed to access Bashir’s and found photos and videos relating to cannabis farms.

Glenn Parsons said in mitigation that he was very remorseful.

He was doing a favour for his drug dealer and he had paid a heavy price for it.

He did not set up the cannabis farm or use any threats or force on the boy.

Bashir had brought great shame on his deeply religious and law-abiding family.

“He accepts that his chickens will come home to roost today,” Mr Parsons said.

Rebecca Young, for Tasif, said he didn’t know what was going on beforehand.

“He found himself in a situation that day which he should have extricated himself from and didn’t,” she said.

Tasif did not at first realise that anything was amiss but knew how serious it was after he was arrested.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Bashir had arranged the boy’s transportation for a free bag of drugs.

“That was the price for taking a 14-year-old boy to slave labour,” he said.

Tasif drove the child to the house out of misguided loyalty.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Farrell, of Bradford District Police, said: “These two men thought nothing of exploiting a vulnerable teenager and taking him away from a place of safety to work in a dangerous environment.

“Their actions were thoroughly reprehensible and this has been recognised by the courts."