A day after a major human trafficking network, that lured young Indian men to Russia was busted, the Ministry of External Affairs said on March 8, 2024, that New Delhi has taken up the serious matter with Moscow. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that bout 35 people were sent to Russia in the dubious scheme.
“Several Indian nationals have been duped to work in Russian Army. We have strongly taken up the matter for early discharge of such Indian nationals. Strong action has been initiated against agents who have recruited them on false pretexts. We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian Army and then eventually return home,” the MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press conference.
Jaiswal said that around 20 people have contacted, reached out and the government is doing its best to locate them. We are in constant touch with the families and also bring back their mortal remains. These deaths happened at a distance from the capital, so we are trying our best to bring back the remains of those who died,” he said.
So far, at least two men who went to Russia expecting to work as helpers in the army have died while fighting from the front. The Indian Embassy at Russia had confirmed their deaths. The traffickers operating across several other Indian states targeted people via social media and through local agents, the CBI said in a statement.
On March 7, 2024, the CBI said “searches were being conducted at a number of locations including the capital New Delhi and Mumbai and cash amounting to USD 605,000 had already been seized. Certain suspects have also been detained for questioning at various locations,” it said.
On March 6, 2024, the Indian Embassy in Russia confirmed the deaths of Indian national Mohammed Asfan and assured the family of the deceased that the government will make efforts to repatriate his mortal remains. Asfan, aged 30 from Hyderabad, was reportedly killed in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
He along with several others was duped by agents and recruited as helpers to fight alongside the Russian Army, according to media reports. His family earlier reached out to the government seeking help in bringing the youth back from war zone.
In a viral video, seven men are seen wearing Army uniforms inside a room with closed window. Six of them stand in a corner while one explains the situation. Several men from Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Telangana find themselves trapped in the conflict having been misleaded under false promises. They were enticed by a YouTube channel offering lucrative job opportunities only to end up coerced into frontline combat duty.
