Polish border police have arrested a Moldovan migrant who they allegedly kept a physically disabled Russian as a slave in order to make him beg for five years.
Officers from the Warmia-Masuria Border Guard Unit discovered the Moldovan who recruited and used the Russian for begging. The 51-year-old Moldovan is alleged to have kept all the money.
Under the supervision of the Gdańsk-Śródmieście District Prosecutor’s Office, on Feb. 9, officers from the Warmia-Masuria Border Guard Unit arrested the Moldovan citizen in Warsaw, according to a police report.
The officers uncovered cash in the amount of over PLN 8,000 (€1,896),, mobile phones, and packaging for SIM cards.
🇵🇱 Poland
A disabled Russian man was kept as a slave for 5 years and forced to beg. Now, a 51-year-old Moldovan man is under arrest.
The Moldovan drove his victim around cities and towns in Poland, made him sit in front of supermarkets like Lidl, and then took all the money he… pic.twitter.com/XVGM1AWls9
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 23, 2026These border guards determined that the disabled Russian was under the man’s control for five years. In that time, the Moldovan directed the man to target large stores, such as the supermarket Lidl. When he was not begging however, the Russian was detained by the Moldovan and not allowed any personal freedoms.
The Moldovan operated in the following areas: Ełk, Kętrzyn, Gołdap, Olecko, Reszel, Bartoszyce, Mrągowo, Węgorzewo, and Radom.
Due to the man’s disabilities, the Moldovan was effectively able to control him and generate a steady stream of income from the man’s begging.
The Moldovan has been charged with human trafficking and faces up to 20 years in prison. The man will remain in detention for at least one month before any trial begins.
