slave trade; slave dealer
Historical term referring to the buying and selling of people, or a person who dealt in slaves. Now used mainly in historical or literary contexts.
In the Edo period, there were areas where slave trafficking was rampant.
In that story, the protagonist is kidnapped by a slave dealer.
Compound of 人 (person) and 買い (buying), literally 'person-buying'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since at least the Edo period.