DUSHANBE , July 5, Asia-Plus - Tajik police authorities reported on July 5 that two residents of the Hissor district had been convicted on charges of trafficking in persons.  They were members of a criminal ring, which was allegedly trafficking local young women to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the source.  

Abdukarim Abduhomidov, the head of the special division within the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for combating kidnapping, trafficking in persons, and racketeering, has told Asia-Plus that officers from his division arrested two residents of the Hissor district, a 30-year-old Ghaybullo Qodirov and a 33-yerar-old Marifat Zaborova, who were allegedly trafficking local young women to Dubai (UAE) for sexual exploitation over the past decade, in the spring this year.  According to him, a court in the Sino district of Dushanbe sentenced Mr. Qodirov and Ms. Zaborova to six and eleven years in prison respectively in late June this year.      

“The ringleader, a 45-year-old Mahbuba Qosimova, is currently wanted by police,” Mr. Abduhomidov said, stressing that four trafficking victims were revealed during the investigation process.   

On the interaction and cooperation between Tajik police and UAE special forces in combating human trafficking, Abdukarim Abduhomidov said that inter-agency commission for combating trafficking in persons was preparing a legal foundation for this and working out a package of appropriate documents. 

We will recall that a joint operation by Tajik police and United Arab Emirates special services freed a group of some 40 Tajik women in Dubai in June last year. 

According to data provided by the MoI special division for combating kidnapping, trafficking in persons, and racketeering, 59 attempts of trafficking in persons and recruitment of people for sexual exploitation have been prevented in Tajikistan over the first six months of this year.  Twelve of those cases were connected with trafficking in persons, including ten cases connected with buying and selling of babies, and 47 cases were connected with recruitment of people for sexual exploitation.