Armless man forced to beg by gang

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A judge says four people who forced an armless man to beg in Swedish subways must serve prison sentences for human trafficking.

The Stockholm district court judge Friday handed a four-year sentence to the 24-year-old leader of an alleged international gang for forcing an armless man from Ukraine to beg in the city's Metro subway, keeping for himself every penny of what police estimate could have been as much $120,000 donated to the man, the Swedish Web site The Local reported.

The Web site said the defendant, along with a 28-year-old woman who received a three-year sentence, were also deported from Sweden for 10 years. Two other alleged gang members drew lesser sentences as accomplices.

Prosecutors said the group virtually imprisoned the armless man for two years, traveling around Europe and forcing him to beg. The man testified he was told by his persecutors that if he did not obey they would harm his mother, The Local reported.