Paris network leader sentenced to 8 years for human trafficking — The Guardian

In France, a Paris court sentenced 48-year-old Roberto Khamidovich to eight years in prison and a fine of €500,000 in a human trafficking case. According to The Guardian World, Khamidovich led a network that used children for pickpocketing in the Paris Metro, Disneyland Paris and other places popular with tourists.

Sentences for clan members

Six other clan members stood trial alongside Khamidovich. In total, seven people were charged — four men and three women. They were tried on charges of human trafficking, organized theft, involving minors in unlawful activity, money laundering and participation in a criminal community. All of them denied guilt.

Khamidovich's wife, Leyla, was sentenced to six years in prison and a €300,000 fine. The couple's two sons, a nephew and two female relatives received prison terms of between five and seven years as well as fines. After their release, they are to be deported from France and barred from entering the country.

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Exploitation of children

According to police, the network used mainly girls for theft, some of whom were 10 years old. Investigators said groups of six to nine children were sent daily to the Metro, Charles de Gaulle Airport and Disneyland Paris, where foreign tourists were their targets. Police said the children brought in an average of €25,000 per day.

Prosecutor Alice Guillet said the minors were instructed to tell police they were 12 years old — one year below the age of criminal responsibility in France. The court was also told that children who did not hand over enough money were beaten, burned or subjected to sexual violence.

Investigators believe that Khamidovich took over the clan after his uncle, Fehmi Khamidovich, was convicted in 2013. Roberto Khamidovich's lawyer, Emperatrice Aguirre, called the punishment too severe and said there was no material evidence of human trafficking in the case.