Model goes missing

Manama : A glamorous Russian model who came to work in the Kingdom has gone missing, Russian media reports said yesterday. According to Russian news websites, the 21-year-old Maria Sazonova, who came to Bahrain on February 17, was last seen at Bahrain International Airport on March 3. The girl’s mother, Irina Sazonova, told Russian mediapersons that she has filed a missing report to the Russian police, after her daughter stopped communicating with her since last week. “Irina went to Bahrain to earn money to buy a new iPhone,” LifeNews website said, quoting the missing model’s mother. “She said she got a job as a bartender and that all is well with her. She stopped responding to calls and messages, and stopped posting on her accounts on social media networks since last week. I don’t know what happened to her and where she is. I was told that the last time she was seen was at the airport in Bahrain, together with her friend Victoria,” the mother told Russian mediapersons. The missing woman is apparently a Sociology student and had worked as a part-time bartender and model in Russia. Some Russian news agencies suggested that Sazonova may have been victimised by human-traffickers. However, her mother refuted such reports. Sazonova ‘left’ According to Interior Ministry, Sazonova left the Kingdom to Jordan on March 3, Vagif Garaev, the Russian ambassador to the Kingdom, said in a statement, quoting the Ministry. Garaev also thanked the Ministry for its swift response to the embassy’s request to investigate the fate of Sazonova who, according to Russian media, arrived in Bahrain and disappeared. The ministry within an hour clarified that she left Bahrain last week. The Ministry was promptly notified by the embassy to find about the fate of the girl. The ambassador lauded the security authorities for their rapid response and prompt action. Ambassador Garaev has requested the Russian media to adhere to accuracy in their reports by getting the correct information from official sources, stressing that inaccurate news are likely to have a negative impact on the good relations between both countries. He added that he had informed the Russian News Agency about the Russian national and about the Interior Ministry’s efforts and cooperation in this respect.