A COUPLE appeared in court in Huddersfield, accused of people trafficking.
And one has also been accused of making threats with a gun.
Imran Shafi, 37, and his partner Diana Sinjaviciute, 24, of Birkby Road, Birkby, appeared before Kirklees Magistrates yesterday.
The court heard Sinjaviciute, a Lithuanian national, ‘befriended’ a Lithuanian woman on Facebook and then arranged to meet her and help the family to move to the UK.
The court heard the families flights were arranged and they arrived in Huddersfield in September 2012 and were put up in a house on Bradford Road.
The family paid £110 rent a week to the defendant and although he had the bank account he was not given bank cards which were kept by Shafi who allegedly withdrew benefits payments owed to the family.
Prosecutor Vanessa Schofield said on June 20 this year it was alleged Shafi came to the house and took out a handgun in front of the whole family.
It was said he put the gun on the table and warned them repeatedly not to get him angry.
Both defendants are charged with arranging or facilitating arrivals in the UK with intent to exploit them.
They were remanded in custody.
Shafi is also charged with possession of a firearm at a house in Bradford Road on June 20, 2013.
They will next appear at Leeds Crown Court on July 8.
