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Two accused of forcing illegal immigrants to work in NJ halal chicken slaughterhouse

Two New York men were arrested Tuesday and charged with forcing illegal immigrants to work at a halal chicken slaughterhouse in Perth Amboy, N.J.

Two New York men were arrested Tuesday and charged with forcing illegal immigrants to work at a halal chicken slaughterhouse in Perth Amboy, N.J.

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that Mohammad Abdul Wahid, 54, of Queens, and Mohammed Iqbal Kabir, 42, of Bronx, were charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit forced labor (human trafficking), conspiracy to harbor undocumented persons for financial gain, and violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.

From July 2011 through January 2016, Wahid owned and operated a Halal slaughterhouse in Perth Amboy, prosecutors said. Employees were paid about $290 a week in cash for working 70 to 100 hours. They were deducted $40 a week to live in a boardinghouse in front of the business. The residence did not have heat or hot water and was infested with insects. They worked with no gloves, masks, or proper soap. If they complained, they were threatened with deportation.

If convicted of human trafficking, the men face a maximum 20 years in prison. - Robert Moran