The Center for Combatting Trafficking in Persons together with the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases completed the investigation and sent five criminal cases featuring 17 persons who are accused of human trafficking and trafficking in children to court. Seven of the persons are under arrest, IPN reports.

The persons are accused of trafficking 20 victims, 14 of whom were minors, for sexual exploitation. Among the victims is a young woman from Tajikistan, who was exploited in Russia and also in Moldova. In another episode, the victim was trafficked by using information technology, being blackmailed with the publication of intimate photos. Some of the documented deeds date from 2003 and 2008.

In accordance with the law, the offences of which the defendants are accused are especially serious and exceptionally serious crimes and are punished with at most 20 years in jail. But 13 of the 17 defendants face even life imprisonment.