Sex, drugs, and undocumented migrants: How the Ashram Shambala cult made all Russians in Argentina look suspicious
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Argentina is embroiled in a scandal involving the Russian cult Ashram Shambala. The group’s founder and leader, Konstantin Rudnev, previously served 11 years in prison, and several Russian nationals affiliated with his movement are currently under investigation for human trafficking, forced labor, and the distribution of illegal narcotics. As a result, Russians in Argentina now face growing mistrust: landlords are refusing to rent them apartments, car rental companies are turning them away, and border checks have become more invasive. In Buenos Aires, police and immigration authorities have launched raids on Russian-owned businesses. One family, whose case was heard by an Argentine court on May 2, spent three days in detention simply because they were on the same flight as cult members.
The Argentine police opened an investigation into the Ashram Shambala cult after receiving a call from the Ramon Carrillo hospital in Bariloche, a Patagonian city located 1,500 kilometers from Buenos Aires. A doctor phoned police to report the suspicious behavior of a 22-year-old pregnant Russian woman who had come in for a checkup accompanied by two fellow Russians — both female. The other women answered every question on behalf of their pregnant compatriot, barely letting her speak. They bore no resemblance to interpreters and were not related to the patient.
The companions were detained after later bringing the young woman to the hospital to give birth — not because of their suspicious behavior, but because one of them attempted to alter the newborn’s registration documents. The companion attempted to write the surname “Rudnev” in the paternity section despite having been told by medical staff that this was not allowed unless the father was physically present at the hospital. According to investigators, the failed paternity claim was an attempt by the leader of Ashram Shambala to obtain legal status in Argentina, as a child born on Argentine soil is granted citizenship by birthright, and the parents, in turn, receive permanent residency and a fast-track path to citizenship. Even without citizenship, Argentine permanent residency allows visa-free travel to Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
On March 28, six days after the doctor’s call, police arrested Konstantin Rudnev and six women traveling with him at the Bariloche airport. They were preparing to fly to Brazil via Buenos Aires. When the plan fell through, the cult leader attempted to slit his own throat. Cocaine was found in the group’s luggage.
Almost all of the suspects under investigation in Argentina for activities connected with the Ashram Shambala cult are Russian citizens. A total of 21 people have been already been charged: 19 women and two men, including the group’s 58-year-old founder, Konstantin Rudnev, who remains the only figure still in custody. He is being held in a maximum-security prison in the city of Rawson, in southern Argentina.
The others were released but had their passports confiscated. They are barred from leaving the country and are required to check in weekly at their local police stations. The criminal cases against them involve several charges, including: human trafficking (up to 8 years in prison), use of forced labor (up to 15 years), involvement in criminal activity, distribution of narcotics, and attempted document forgery.
Argentine media reported that the detained women appeared emaciated, showing signs of chronic malnutrition and progressive hair loss. Police later made additional arrests at Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires and in the southern city of Neuquén. In Bariloche, authorities searched a country house where members of Ashram Shambala had been living. According to media reports, the Russians had rented the house with cash, covered the windows, and installed outdoor surveillance cameras. Inside, police found wigs, erotic lingerie, mattresses on the floor, dishes labeled with names, and locked boxes used to store food — as well as mushrooms believed to be hallucinogenic.
Argentine lawyer Leopoldo Murua represented Konstantin Rudnev and Tamara Saburova, who from March 30-April 7 was detained alongside him and is referred to in the Argentine press as his fiancée. During that time, the lawyer was unable to meet with either client, as the court had imposed a total communication ban on Rudnev and Saburova. “At first there were a lot of conflicting reports about the charges. What I know for certain is that the women were with Rudnev voluntarily. We also spoke with the relatives of the 22-year-old woman who gave birth. They said that Elena — if I’m not mistaken about her name — was also with him of her own free will,” Murua told The Insider.
Murua ceased representing Rudnev and Saburova after they changed lawyers. He believes that the release of 20 foreign nationals accused of serious criminal charges connected to their alleged activities as part of the cult may indicate that the authorities currently lack sufficient evidence to prove their guilt — particularly in relation to human trafficking and the use of forced labor.
According to Argentina’s immigration service, Konstantin Rudnev entered the country in October 2024, and the woman who gave birth in Bariloche arrived in January 2025. Russians can remain in Argentina as tourists without a visa for up to 90 days. Murua says neither Rudnev nor his fiancée Saburova had residency permits — meaning they were likely staying in the country illegally.
Content retrieved from: https://theins.ru/en/politics/281101.
