Interior Ministry proposes amendment to combat slave trade

The Russian Interior Ministry has proposed a set of measures to improvenational legislation to combat slave trade, Ministry's official YevnegySadkov announced at a briefing today. He noted that, at present, slavetrade, mostly of women and children, and their exploitation had become alarge business, and international organized criminal groups were playing animportant role in it. The official stressed that, according to Russia'slegislation, prostitution and sales of women for prostitution were notsubject to prosecution. He also noted that Russian police had problems withinvestigating such violations, as crimes started in Russia and werecompleted abroad.The Interior Ministry proposed to work out an exact definition of thenotion 'slave trade" in domestic legislation and introduce an itemprohibiting it to the Criminal Code. In addition, the Ministry suggestedstrengthening control over commercial agencies that could be used as acover for slave trade, for instance, marriage agencies, tourist agencies,migration bureaus and companies offering jobs abroad..