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A major United States investigation has been launched into a racket <span style="font-weight: bold">in which Jamaicans and other foreign workers were lured into low-paying jobs and turned into modern-day slaves</span>.
On Wednesday, Federal officials announced that a top level probe into the huge human trafficking racket based in <span style="font-weight: bold">Kansas City </span>was in progress.
The conspiracy allegedly started in 2001.
It is reported that employment firms recruited persons from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines for jobs at construction firms, hotels and casinos in 14 states.
But the employment firms allegedly paid the workers only a fraction of what they were promised and heaped on thousands of dollars in fees, making it impossible for them to quit or even afford a plane ticket home.
On Wednesday, 12 persons and three companies involved in the ring were indicted on charges of racketeering, visa fraud, identity theft and other counts.
It has not been ascertained how many Jamaicans were tricked into taking up jobs.
Reports out of Kansas City say investigators are still serving search warrants and have begun interviewing some of the affected workers.
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