Send farmers, unemployed graduates and youngsters looking for jobs to Russia via the Dubai route. There, get their own countrymen — Rajasthani and Keralite handlers – to push them in the jaws of death in the Russia-Ukraine war zone.
This was the modus operandi of the pan-India human trafficking network busted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday. The overseas foundation registered in Delhi conspired with visa agents from Ambala in the north to Madurai in the south. The CBI has registered a case under sections of cheating, criminal conspiracy and human trafficking.
ALSO READ | CBI Launches Major Crackdown On Dubious Visa Agencies After Indians Tricked Into Fighting Russia-Ukraine War
The CBI raided 13 locations at Ambala, Mumbai, Trivandrum, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai and revealed that the network charged huge amounts from the victims on the pretext of getting them jobs related to the Russian army, as security guards or house help in Russia. Many were promised admission to Russian universities, jobs and a better life. The CBI believes at least 35 more Indians are similarly trapped in Russia.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in its statement, said: “Several Indian nationals have been duped to serve in the Russian army. We have raised the issue with Russian authorities and asked for an early discharge. Strong action has been initiated against the agents. The CBI busted a major human trafficking network in many cities. A case has been registered. We appeal to people not to fall into the trap of such agents." The CBI has also issued a public appeal, urging gullible youngsters to not fall prey to such job advertisements.
#WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "Several Indian nationals have been duped to work in the Russian army. We have strongly taken up the matter for the early discharge of such Indian nationals. Strong action has been initiated against agents who recruited them on… pic.twitter.com/4o9Puxxm9Y— ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2024
PROMISED JOBS AS HELP, ASSISTANT, 2 KILLED
One of the companies named as an accused in the CBI FIR is Baba vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd. The company’s YouTube post allegedly lured 30-year-old Mohammad Afsan from Hyderabad to Moscow. As per Afsan’s family, he was promised job as help, where he could earn Rs 1-2 lakh. Afsan was allegedly charged Rs 3 lakh by the traffickers.
In a call made to his family in January, Afsan had said he was in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, deployed to fight at the Russia-Ukraine frontline. Afsan was killed in the warzone three days ago, as per a social media post by the Russian authorities.
The news of Afsan’s death came a fortnight after 23-year-old Hamil Mangukiya from Surat was killed. Mangukiya had reportedly applied for a job in Russia through an online advertisement and reached Moscow from Chennai. He was recruited as an assistant in the Russian Army. He was reportedly killed in an airstrike by Ukraine in the Donetsk region of the Russia-Ukraine border on February 21.
THE CBI FIR
The CBI probe has found that once the victims reached Russia, their passports and other documents were taken/snatched by agents in Moscow. Indian nationals were then forcibly trained in combat roles and provided with Russian army uniform and badges. The agents questioned so far told the CBI that post combat training, the trafficked Indians “are/were being deployed at front bases in Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes and put their lives in grave danger". “It has been ascertained that some human trafficking victims also got grievously injured in the war zone," the CBI stated.
“Credible information has been received from reliable sources that a company, namely M/s24x7RAS Overseas Foundation, registered at 501, Ambadeep building KG Marg New Delhi and its Director Suyash Mukut, in conspiracy with Tanu Kant Sharma r/o Ashram, Delhi,; Srividhya, r/o Chennai; Rakesh Pandey r/o Mumbai; Director of M/s O.S.D Bros Travels & Visa Services Pvt Ltd; O.S.D Bros Travels & Visa Services Pvt Ltd; Manjeet Singh r/o Barnala, Sangrur, Punjab; Adventure Visa Services Pvt Ltd; Christina r/o Russia; Faisal Abdul Mutalib Khan @ Baba based in Dubai; Mohd. Sufiyan Dawood Ahmad Darugar r/o Palghar, Mumbai; Baba vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd; Pooja w/o Md Sufiyan; Ramesh Kumar Palanisamy r/o Tamilnadu; Md Moinuddin Chhipa r/o Rajasthan, presently based in Russia; Santhosh based in Russia Tomy r/o Kerala; Robo r/o Kerala; and Job r/o Kerala and unknown others are engaged in trafficking of gullible Indian Nationals to Russia and duping them for better employment and high paying jobs," the CBI said in its FIR.
“It has also been informed that these agents/human traffickers are duping Indian students/citizens for admission in dubious private universities in Russia instead of Govt/public known universities by offering them free discounted visa extensions, fee structure, etc. and thereafter they are left at the mercy of visa agents and college authorities," the CBI said.