Three men face 54 charges of people trafficking

File photo / NZ Herald

Three men facing a total of 54 charges of people-trafficking have appeared in the Nelson District Court.

The charges relate to 18 people, believed to be horticultural workers in the Nelson area.

Jaswinder Singh Sangha, 53, and Satnam Singh, 52, have denied all charges.

The elected a trial by jury and will appear again on November 5.

A third man, from Auckland, has name suppression. He faces 36 charges.

Outside court, one of the defendants claimed they were trumped up charges and said he'd been picked on.

This is the first time a people-trafficking case has gone to court in New Zealand.