People trafficking case in court

Six Shropshire men have appeared in court accused of trafficking people for sexual exploitation.

The men, all from Telford, were arrested by police as part of a long-term operation into human trafficking and sexual offences. They appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday to face the charges.

Ajmal Tanveer, 27, of Crescent Road, Hadley, is accused of two charges of jointly trafficking two girls for sexual exploitation.

He is also charged jointly with others of inciting prostitution.

Rafaqat Hussain, 26, of Urban Gardens, Wellington, is facing one human trafficking charge.

Delivery driver Noshad Hussain, 19, of Regent Street, Wellington, is accused of one charge of human trafficking as well as supplying cannabis and conspiring to commit an offence of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mohammed Choudhrey, 51, of Solway Drive, Sutton Hill and Tanveer Ahmed, 38, of Urban Gardens, Wellington, are both facing two human trafficking charges and one inciting prostitution charge.

Marhoof Khan, 32, a trainee chef, of Caradoc Flats, Wellington, is charged with one count of human trafficking and one of conspiring to engage children in sexual activity.

All the charges are alleged to have happened between January 1, 2008, and December 7 last year.

Yesterday magistrates remanded the men in custody.

They sent the cases up to Shrewsbury Crown Court where the men will appear on Monday.

Detective Superintendent Steve Cullen, who has been leading the complex investigation, said they had been working closely for some time with Telford & Wrekin Council, the local Primary Care Trust, the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre and the Serious and the Organised Crime Agency's Vulnerable Persons Team.

He said: "We are pleased with how the investigation has gone so far but I'd like to reassure local people that a significant number of officers will continue to work on this case."

Mr Cullen appealed for anyone with information to assist the investigation to contact them on 0300 333 3000 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

By Lisa Rowley