Two berry company owners in Åsele, Sweden, have been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for gross human exploitation.

The couple, who were initially suspected of human trafficking, were found guilty of exploiting Thai berry pickers who were misled about their working conditions.

The victims worked long hours for minimal pay, receiving only 18-28% of the agreed-upon wages after two months of work.

The court also imposed a seven-year ban on the couple from running a business and ordered them to pay compensation to the victims.

The case has been described as 'modern-day slavery,' with the exploited workers forced to eat slaughterhouse scraps found in the forest to quell their hunger.