Ulcinj woman arrested: Suspected of forcing her nine-year-old daughter to beg for money and sell jewelry

ZA (39) from Ulcinj was arrested on suspicion of forcing her nine-year-old minor daughter to beg for money from citizens and sell jewelry at a catering establishment, the Police Directorate (UP) announced today.

The statement states that Podgorica police officers, in cooperation with officers from the Department for Suppression of Criminal Offenses of Human Trafficking, Smuggling of People and Illegal Migration, arrested ZA on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of human trafficking to the detriment of her minor child.

"Police officers of the Podgorica Security Department, while undertaking activities aimed at suppressing begging, as well as organized and forced forms of this form of exploitation, found an underage female person begging in a catering facility, who then walked away in the direction of a female person. On that occasion, police officers identified the female person as ZA (39), after which the persons were brought to official premises to collect information," the statement states.

The UP added that it was determined that ZA, as suspected, committed the aforementioned criminal offense by abusing the relationship of trust and dependence, by bringing her nine-year-old minor daughter to the aforementioned facility to beg for money from citizens and sell jewelry, after which she took the collected money from the girl, which was found and confiscated from the suspect.

"By order of the state prosecutor at the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, ZA was deprived of her liberty on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of human trafficking to the detriment of her minor daughter," the statement reads.