DUBAI // A human trafficker lured a woman to the country by pretending to be a former classmate on a social networking site, a court heard yesterday.
He struck up a relationship with the woman and convinced her to visit Dubai, paying for her travel expenses, but when she arrived he took her passport and tried to sell her for Dh10,000.
Luckily for the woman, police had the man under surveillance and arrested him.
Prosecutors said FP, 40, from Moldova, met the woman on a website called “School Friends” and pretended to be a former classmate interested in a reunion.
When she arrived in February this year, he forced her to give her passport to a female accomplice. However, the accomplice was a police source and shortly after she took the passport police arrived and arrested the man.
After interrogating him officers also arrested TD, 38, a woman from Moldova, and TK, from Pakistan.
FP was charged with human trafficking, TD with prostitution, and all three with facilitating prostitution.
TD was not in the Dubai Criminal Court to enter a plea. The other two denied all charges. A verdict is expected on December 9.
salamir@thenational.ae
