Police uncovered the activities of a transnational criminal organization that had been trafficking Homel voblast residents to Turkey for sexual exploitation since 2006. Belarusian girls were sold into Antalya brothels for $2 thousand dollars, the Interior Ministry.
As became known to Telegraf, the operatives of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and corruption had been investigating this criminal structure since March 2010. Police found more than 20 injured girls, including an underage girl.
All the victims were recruited by criminals under the guise of employment as waitresses, housekeepers or sellers in the markets of Turkey, the Interior Ministry.
People were trafficked by air via Moscow, Borispol (Ukraine) or ferry from Sochi. According to police, similar «business» hackers had developed in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, as well as in Latin America and the Dominican Republic. The number of victims, caught up in Turkey, is counted by hundreds.
Nine active participants of this criminal organization (three Turkish people and six Belarusians) were charged under Article №181 «Human Trafficking» and Article №285 «Formation of a criminal organization» of the Criminal Code of Belarus. Three attackers were placed in the remand prison, the other two — under house arrest. The rest are in Turkey.
Belarusian police sent relevant international orders for legal assistance to Turkish colleagues. Taken together, every suspect can face up to 20 years imprisonment in the Belarusian legislation.
According to Interior Ministry, the scale of trafficking is not great in Belarus in comparison with neighboring countries. The number of crimes has half fallen since 2005. However, there is a problem: only the internal affairs authorities have stopped more than 50 stable channels of Belarusian citizens’ trade to abroad in 2010.
