Armless man forced to beg on Stockholm metro
A disabled Ukrainian man, 28, was forced to beg for money on Stockholm's metro and in other countries by five people now charged for abduction and human trafficking.
The man, who has no arms, has been sitting at locations across Stockholm's metro system with a sign hung around his chest, begging for money. The man received none of the money himself and police suspect that he has been held against his will for several years.
Stockholm district court on Friday charged five people with abduction and human trafficking, according to a report in the Metro newspaper.
The man managed to escape in the beginning of August by fleeing across the tracks at Stockholm central station and sound the alarm to police.
"He was forced under constant watch to beg on a daily basis over a period of two years. In total the man has managed to accumulate a six figure sum, perhaps in excess of one million kronor ($118,645) in several countries," said Per Uno Johansson at Stockholm police.
Four of the suspects have been remanded into custody and a fifth remains at large.
The five are suspected of having forcibly recruited the armless Ukrainian man in 2006 to at first force him to beg in eastern Europe and then in the summer in Sweden.
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The man, who has no arms, has been sitting at locations across Stockholm's metro system with a sign hung around his chest, begging for money. The man received none of the money himself and police suspect that he has been held against his will for several years.
Stockholm district court on Friday charged five people with abduction and human trafficking, according to a report in the Metro newspaper.
The man managed to escape in the beginning of August by fleeing across the tracks at Stockholm central station and sound the alarm to police.
"He was forced under constant watch to beg on a daily basis over a period of two years. In total the man has managed to accumulate a six figure sum, perhaps in excess of one million kronor ($118,645) in several countries," said Per Uno Johansson at Stockholm police.
Four of the suspects have been remanded into custody and a fifth remains at large.
The five are suspected of having forcibly recruited the armless Ukrainian man in 2006 to at first force him to beg in eastern Europe and then in the summer in Sweden.
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