Giugliano, the hell of the three-euro-an-hour camps: two entrepreneurs arrested for gangmastering.

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Giugliano The Hell of the Three-Euro Camps Then Two Entrepreneurs Arrested for Gangmastering 2026 07 21

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Giugliano – Recruited at dawn on the side of the road, crammed into a van, and sent to the fields to plow the earth for 10, sometimes 14 hours straight. All for a pittance: just three euros an hour. No weekly rest, an absolute ban on absences, even if sick, and even their phones confiscated to prevent any contact with the outside world.

This is a snapshot of the daily horror revealed by the latest raid by the Carabinieri Labor Inspectorate (NIL) of Caserta, conducted with the support of the Naples Provincial Command. The inspection, part of the Ministry of Labor's extraordinary national campaign, led to the arrest of two entrepreneurs from the Agro Aversano area, active in the fruit and vegetable and livestock sectors. They face serious charges: illegal intermediation and aggravated labor exploitation.

Between pesticides and heatwaves: human cargo in the fields

The conditions to which the laborers—mostly citizens of Indian origin and without valid residence permits—were subjected were appalling. The military found systematic violations of every safety and human dignity standard.

Workers were forced to work under the scorching summer sun and pouring rain, without any protection. The worst of the degradation occurred during land reclamation: laborers were forced to remain on the plantations even during the spraying of pesticides and toxic substances, without masks, gloves, or personal protective equipment (PPE).

After the validation hearing, the Court of Naples North ordered both suspects to report to the Judicial Police as a precautionary measure.

The network of controls and the protection of the vulnerable

The operation was not the result of chance, but of cooperation between various institutions. The Caserta Territorial Labor Inspectorate and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) worked together on the field inspections.

The intervention is part of the ALT Caporalato TRE project (funded by the FAMI Fund 2021-2027), a task force deployed in the most at-risk areas to intercept and free migrant workers in extremely vulnerable conditions from the grip of blackmail.

(It should be noted that the proceedings are in the preliminary investigation phase. The measures adopted are precautionary in nature, and the suspects are presumed innocent until a final conviction is issued.)

The invisible price of the food we eat

The Giugliano operation is not an isolated case, but a glimpse into the reality of a structural plague that continues to consume our country's territories.

Gangmastering and the exploitation of agricultural labor aren't just "bad apples" in a healthy system: they are the extreme manifestation of an agri-food supply chain often squeezed downward, where the last link in the chain pays the highest price.

Migrants' irregular status becomes the gangmasters' best ally. Those without a residence permit live in constant fear of being reported or deported, becoming vulnerable to blackmail and willing to accept inhumane conditions just to survive. This isn't just about starvation wages (3 euros an hour doesn't even cover basic living expenses), but a genuine annihilation of the individual: cutting off their phone, denying them treatment for illnesses, and forcing them to breathe poisonous substances deprive them of their dignity.

Fighting this plague requires a change of pace on several levels:

Territorial controls : Projects such as ALT Caporalato and joint inspections are essential, but continuity is needed.

Regular access channels : As long as irregularity is the norm for those seeking work in the fields, the black market in labor will continue to thrive.

Supply Chain Transparency : It is essential to promote an ethic of consumption and a distribution chain that rewards products free from exploitation, giving fair economic value to the work of the land.

What to know

Key points on gangmastering and the exploitation of agricultural labor

Here is a summary of the main aspects that emerged from the Giugliano operation and the context of gangmastering in Italy.

Working conditions: Farm workers are forced to work up to 14 hours a day for just 3 euros an hour, without any rights or protections.
Population involved: Most of the workers are migrants, often without residence permits, making them vulnerable to blackmail.
Security Breaches: Workers are exposed to toxic substances without any protection, compromising their health.
Institutional interventions: The operation is the result of cooperation between several institutions, including the Labour Inspectorate and the IOM.
Need for change: It is essential to promote regular checks, legal access to jobs, and transparency in the agri-food supply chain.

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I'm reading this and it all sounds awful, but I don't quite understand how we could have intervened sooner; the checks were necessary, but they weren't done properly. Migrants were forced to work like machines, without rights. Their phones were taken away, and no one stood up for them. What's needed is more continuity and serious programs.

Giugliano, the hell of the three-euro-an-hour camps: two entrepreneurs arrested for gangmastering.

Other Podcasts

Between pesticides and heatwaves: human cargo in the fields

The network of controls and the protection of the vulnerable

The invisible price of the food we eat

Key points on gangmastering and the exploitation of agricultural labor

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