Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was in Kalamazoo on Tuesday announcing trafficking charges against three owners of the Broadway Market liquor store in Three Rivers. They’re accused of exploiting a woman who came to the United States from India to get married.
“Shortly after arriving in Michigan, the victim began working at a convenience store, never receiving payment for her labor, and working off the payroll books. She was required to work eight to nine hours a day, seven days a week, against her will, and under threat of severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse,” Nessel said.
Nessel added that the woman “likely interacted with dozens or even hundreds of customers every day. The face of human trafficking is not always obvious, and it's not always in line with common presumptions.”
The accused are the woman’s husband, Ikbahl Singh Machhal, age 40, as well as his parents, Kartar Chand, 67, and Shila Devi, 66. All are from Three Rivers.
The husband and mother-in-law were arrested on April 29. But the father-in-law has not been arrested as he is out of the country.
Nessel made the announcement at the Kalamazoo YWCA, where the alleged victim received services. Nessel credited the Three Rivers Police Department with uncovering the alleged labor trafficking.
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