17 people to be invetsigated for trafficking in human beings

Chisinau, 5 April /MOLDPRES/- Last week, Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases jointly with Center for Combating Trafficking in Persons completed criminal investigation and prosecuted five criminal cases for accusing 17 people of committing crimes of trafficking in human beings and child trafficking.

According to the PCCOCS, the number of victims is 20, of which 14 are minors who have been sexually exploited, including a victim from Tajikistan, who has been exploited in both Russia and Moldova.

In another case, the victim was exploited using information technology, being blackmailed into publishing her intimate photos. Some of the facts brought to justice date back to 2003, 2008 - period which was not an impediment for prosecutors and officers to gather sufficient evidence and send the case to court.

Following a request of PCCOCS prosecutors, seven people were arrested. According to the law, the crimes are exceptionally serious and are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and in the case of 13 out of 17 accused, for the acts of which they are accused they even risk life imprisonment.