Video: Woman Becomes Victim of Trafficking After Asking for Money to Fix Her Mother's Grave, Has Been Begging for Over 10 Years

Trafficking or human exploitation begins with temptation—promises of easy and profitable work, and a drastically improved life. The slave status comes later when the victim is drawn into the game, swallowing the bait, becoming vulnerable and manageable. At that point, threats, beatings, and humiliation begin.

The police report that one of the most common forms of exploitation in Armenia is involving individuals in begging. To earn money through begging, one must evoke pity and compassion from people, making vulnerable groups in society—primarily young children and elderly individuals—the targets of this form of trafficking.

The information received by the New Nork Division of the Police’s Juvenile Affairs and Family Violence Prevention Department was specifically about the exploitation of an elderly woman. In this case, everything began with temptation.

In 2009, the woman lived in a rented house on Sarav Aghbyur Street, where she met another renter. The woman asked the man to fix her mother’s grave. According to her, they did not agree on the price beforehand, and later the man demanded three thousand dollars. The woman did not have that money, and the man encouraged her to engage in begging, even on the condition of receiving the money in installments. Considering that the woman earned at least 35-40 thousand drams a day from begging, she should have quickly paid off the debt. But the man's aim was different; the woman was no longer a debtor but rather a means of earning money.

Subsequent actions by the New Nork police revealed that besides pushing her into begging, the man had registered the woman in the town of Buryakavan under her name and had arranged for her pension. He had been receiving her pension for the past three years.

One might wonder why the woman did not turn to the authorities during all this time. The answer in such cases is always the same: first she was ashamed, then she was afraid. The woman told the police that she had tried several times to escape from the man but he always found her, beat her, and threatened her. Incidentally, the man's wife was also aware of everything and provided some support to him.

Before taking specific action, the law enforcement officers placed the elderly woman in a special shelter. On February 7, the couple was arrested on suspicion of committing an act under Article 188 of the Criminal Code. During the search of the husband, the elderly woman's passport and social card were found. More impressive results came from the search conducted at the couple's residence. The police seized the woman’s pension bank card, more than 70 thousand dollars, and categorized coins neatly packed in separate bags, together totaling 1 million 299 thousand 750 drams.

The man has been charged and is under arrest. It should be noted that the first part of Article 188 foresees a penalty of five to eight years in prison. However, particularly in such matters, the police's goal is not just punishment but to prevent a disgraceful phenomenon. To prevent such phenomena, the police are constantly undertaking preventive measures and cooperating with all interested organizations.

All territorial subdivisions of the police are fighting trafficking with the same perseverance, and as a result of that diligence, cases of human exploitation have decreased in Armenia. However, a necessary condition for eliminating this phenomenon is heightened legal awareness among citizens. Upon noticing such cases, especially when becoming a victim of trafficking, one should not hesitate or be afraid to immediately contact law enforcement. Remember, when the police are by your side, you should not be the one to fear or feel ashamed. After all, the most shameful aspect is that modern manifestations of slavery can still exist in our society today.