MOSCOW, August 17. /TASS/. A man in Moscow has been charged with a human trafficking attempt, Investigative Committee official Yulia Ivanova has said, adding that among the potential victims were a mother and her underage daughter.
"Criminal proceedings have been launched against a 50-year-old resident of Moscow who is charged with human trafficking," Ivanova said. "According to the investigators, the accused no later than August 2017 had plotted a criminal scheme with the aim of receiving illegal material gains by means of selling people," she said.
The man got on friendly terms with four women (from Russia and other CIS countries), one of whom had an underage daughter and offered them assistance in participating in a modeling agency casting. After that he found a potential buyer. On August 15 the man was detained in a cafe at the moment he received 250,000 rubles ($4200) in exchange for three women.
"The deal to sell the mother and her underage daughter failed for reasons not depending on the accused," the IC official said.
Investigators have held five confrontations and questioned all potential victims, who said the accused was a very persuasive person and his proposals did not look suspicious at all.
"When questioned the accused pled guilty. The investigator plans to ask court to remand him in custody. The inquiry is proceeding," Ivanova said.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk has said the accused man published employment ads on behalf of a modelling agency in the Internet before his detention by police.