Argentine authorities have taken apart an infamous Russian cult, arresting 14 individuals in a joint operation across 2 airports that has exposed a sinister network of supposed human exploitation.Konstantin Rudnev, the 57-year-old founder of theAshram Shambhala sect, was obstructed along with his fans at airports in Bariloche and Buenos Aires on March 31 while heading to Brazil.The investigation began when a young Russian lady came to a healthcare facility in Bariloche to deliver, raising instant issues among medical staff.Doctors were alarmed by the womans condition and the behavior of her accompanying companions.
The 22-year-old appeared badly malnourished and noticeably scared, with the 2 women accompanying her preventing her from speaking.
This prompted an instant authorities investigation that would unwind a complicated web of alleged criminal activity.Her passport stated she was 22, however if shes even 15, thats too old, a detective toldInfobae.Rudnev, who explains himself as an alien from the star Sirius, has a long history of criminal behavior.
A former Soviet soldier who was hospitalized after a psychiatric episode in the mid-1980s, he founded the sect in Novosibirsk in 1989.
At its peak in the 1990s, the company declared over 20,000 acolytes throughout 18 Russian regions.The sects operations were deeply manipulative.
Followers were needed to contribute their residential or commercial property, desert their households and send to Rudnevs severe control systems.
Ladies were reportedly coerced into sexual relations, while men were mandated to remain celibate.
The groups income generally came from offering recordings of ritualistic encounters and charging exorbitant charges for yoga and meditation courses.When detained, the group was found in possession of 130 tablets including drug, 12 mobile phones, 10 SIM cards, a satellite phone and $15,000 in money.
According toEl Pais, Rudnev tried to slit his own throat throughout the arrest but authorities intervened.Rudnevs previous legal difficulties include an 11-year jail sentence in 2013 for rape, drug trafficking and arranging a group participated in violence.Rudnevs cult members frequently lost their cash and home and abandoned their family members and buddies, and a lot of them were reported missing out on, reported TheSiberian Times, asquotedby TheDaily Mailin 2013.
After joining up, females were forced to participate in ritual rapes and orgies with Rudnov and other cult leaders, a Novosibirsk court heard.After his release in 2021, Rudnev relocated to Montenegro, where he was previously apprehended for shooting what authorities described as ritual pornography.Religious scholar Alexander Neveev, talking to Russian outlet360.ru, described the organization as a really harmful pseudo-tantric group, noting its severe practices included ritual violence and a perverse interpretation of spiritual practices.The cult drew brand-new members through social networks, promising financial prosperity and personal happiness through ladiess practices and pseudo-spiritual manipulation.The women found with Rudnev in Argentina were significantly emaciated, with spots of baldness a possible sign of prolonged malnutrition and psychological control.
Authorities are now examining whether the women are victims of human trafficking or ready participants in the cults activities.The case has been referred to the Federal Prosecutors Office in Bariloche, with charges likely to include human trafficking, sexual exploitation and drug offenses.
An initial hearing is anticipated in the coming days to identify the legal status of the staying detainees.As the examination continues, concerns stay about the full level of the Ashram Shambala sects operations and the potential variety of victims left in its wake.This article initially appeared in bne IntelliNews.