Allegations included victims not being paid for work, having their passports taken, and being subjected to physical assaults and threats.
Victims said their movements had been closely monitored and controlled by Matamata, with restrictions on both where they went and who they had contact with.
Immigration NZ assistant general manager Peter Devoy said at the time of the arrest the charges were a result of about two years of detailed investigation, after INZ staff had spoken with one of the workers and became aware of some of the allegations.
"We are absolutely committed to eliminating people trafficking in New Zealand," he said.
The now banished Minister of Immigration, Ian Lees-Galloway at the time the action demonstrated why this Government has made cracking down on migrant exploitation one of its top priorities in Immigration.
"There is no place for exploitative practices in New Zealand," he said. "Migrant workers have the same employment rights as all other workers."
Devoy said some victims have been under Matamata's "control" for some years and added: It was a "a new low for New Zealand" and was about the practices of a "labour contractor."
People running the orchards probably didn't know about the alleged offending, he said.
It was the fourth time INZ had charged someone with people trafficking, but it is the first time the police had become involved, and "the combination of slavery and the treatment of these people sets [this case] apart," he said.
Detective Inspector Mike Foster, Eastern District Police, said at the time it was an easy choice for police to become involved once INZ talked to the first victim.
