At the end of 2024, police stopped a man who told investigators that he had recently started working at a restaurant in the area without a contract, under the direction of an employer based in the Paris region.
According to Le Républicain Lorrain, this prompted the police to investigate an industrial cleaning company allegedly run by four associates – a man said to be the head of the operation, along with his son, brother, and friend. The associates are suspected of recruiting workers under irregular conditions, moving them around the country and providing them with accommodation.
The public prosecutor's office in Val de Briey describes the organisation as operating in a manner akin to human trafficking.
An investigation spanning several months, conducted under the supervision of an investigating judge and supported by the Office for Combating the Illicit Trafficking of Migrants (OLTIM) in Nancy and the Interministerial Research Groups (GIR) of Moselle, revealed a well-organised system that had been in place since 2011.
The company had secured contracts with around 30 subcontractors linked to a major fast-food chain, resulting in coordinated inspections of multiple sites in Paris, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Brittany, and Lorraine.
Around 20 workers were interviewed about their administrative status and potential victimisation. In total, nearly 100 people are believed to have been exploited. Financial losses are estimated to total around €1 million, including unpaid social security contributions and evaded taxes.
The four alleged ringleaders have been arrested and charged, with the main suspect placed in pre-trial detention.
The investigation is ongoing as part of the judicial inquiry opened in Val de Briey.
