A Paeroa business has been fined over $150,000 after migrant workers were compelled to work extremely long hours—up to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, including public holidays—without receiving their lawful entitlements. Chetna Dave and her husband Hitesh Dave, directors of Dev Trading Limited (DTL), trading as Super Clearance, recruited two Indian nationals under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme. The company has since changed hands and is now under new management.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) reported that an investigation uncovered unlawful employment practices. Workers were required to work extensive hours, often up to 14 hours daily and seven days a week, and were not paid their entitled wages or provided the proper holidays and leave. One worker had deductions disguised as loan repayments that totaled more than $6,000.
DTL allegedly went to great lengths to deceive authorities, submitting false records and documentation to INZ, including fabricated rosters and payslips, and even completing employment modules on behalf of the workers. This prevented the victims from learning about New Zealand employment rights and laws.
MBIE Immigration Investigators, following a lengthy, detailed inquiry, uncovered the deception and secured accountability in court.
Overall, Super Clearance owed more than $158,000 in unpaid wages and entitlements, with around $140,000 already paid to the victims prior to sentencing.
Chetna and Hitesh Dave pleaded guilty to five charges of exploiting temporary workers in breach of the Minimum Wage Act 1983, Holidays Act 2003, and Wages Protection Act 1983, along with two charges of providing false or misleading information to Immigration New Zealand during an investigation and in an application to renew employer accreditation.
The pair were ordered to pay a fine of $159,250, court-ordered reparation of $18,684.72, and emotional harm payments of $5,000 to each victim.
Jason Perry, Immigration NZ national manager of investigations, described the sentencing as a positive outcome for Immigration New Zealand and, most importantly, for the victims. He stated that callously exploiting vulnerable migrants and deliberately providing false information to INZ is not only unethical but criminal. He emphasized that breaches of immigration and employment laws undermine the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration system and harm vulnerable workers, underscoring the need to protect both migrants and the broader public.
