A Czech couple, Jan Drevenak and Monika Olahova, have been jailed after being convicted of arranging transport for exploitation and holding a man in slavery at a McDonald's in Cambridgeshire. Drevenak received eight years and Olahova six-and-a-half; both will be deported on release. The victim, recruited in Karlovy Vary in early 2018, earned about £12,000 in wages but received only £90. Police and the judge condemned the exploitation, and McDonald's cooperated with the investigation.
Third Brother Sentenced in McDonald's Modern Slavery Case After Victim Lured From Czech Republic
Jan Drevenak was sentenced to eight years in prison on Thursday [Cambridgeshire Police]
A Czech couple have been jailed for their roles in a criminal network that trafficked vulnerable men to the UK and forced them to work at a McDonald's in Cambridgeshire.
Jan Drevenak and his partner, Monika Olahova, were convicted at Luton Crown Court of arranging transport for exploitation and of holding a person in slavery. On Thursday, Jan Drevenak was sentenced to eight years in prison and Olahova to six-and-a-half years; the judge said both will be deported after they serve their terms.
This concluded the third trial linked to the family-run operation. Two of Drevenak's brothers, Ernest and Zdenek Drevenak, were jailed in 2024 for their parts in the same network.
Zdenek Drevenak, left, and his brother Ernest, were jailed in 2024 [Facebook]
The court heard that Drevenak, 39, befriended a man in Karlovy Vary (about 129km west of Prague) who had recently lost his job, and lured him to the UK in early 2018 with promises of a better life. On arrival the man’s identity card and passport were taken; he was housed at Drevenak's home in Bedford and slept on a blow-up mattress.
Another member of the gang, Veronika Bubencikova, secured paid work for the victim at the McDonald's in Caxton by completing online entry tests on his behalf and acting as an interpreter during the interview. The victim told the court he worked 12-hour shifts, six days a week, and that Drevenak drove him to and from the restaurant—and sometimes left him at the premises overnight.
Between March and October 2018 the worker earned roughly £12,000 in wages, but those payments went into Olahova's bank account and he received only £90. Drevenak told him the money was being used to repay a debt for transport, food and accommodation. The victim also said Olahova restricted his food, usually giving him only soup, and made him collect household shopping while closely scrutinising receipts.
The victim was found a job at the McDonald's in Caxton, Cambridgeshire [BBC]
The victim was later moved to live with Ernest Drevenak, described at trial as the ringleader. Ernest paid Jan £1,000 for the transfer and the exploitation continued. Over a four-year period Ernest and his partner, Veronika Bubencikova, placed a total of six men to work at the Caxton McDonald's and spent their wages on cars, jewellery and holidays.
Judge Geoffrey Payne described the defendants' conduct as "disgraceful":
"Human beings have an inherent dignity and worth. Both of you over 10 months robbed [the victim] of that, and by your behaviour brought him very low indeed. You treated him as your property and even accepted money in compensation when he left you to be exploited elsewhere. At trial you missed no opportunity to smear his character. Neither of you have shown any remorse whatsoever."
Det Sgt Nick Webber of Cambridgeshire Police said: "This case once again emphasises that sadly modern slavery can happen anywhere. The victim was sold a dream of a fresh start in the UK, but it turned into a nightmare as he was forced to work long shifts for virtually no pay."
Cambridgeshire Police said it worked closely with McDonald's during the investigation. McDonald's has since introduced measures aimed at preventing similar offences and has supported the relocation of victims.
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