- The agents used social media platforms and exploited local connections to lure victims.
- The agency initiated cases against several private visa consultancy firms.
- Cash worth 5m rupees, incriminating documents, and electronic devices were seized from the locations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India has announced the dismantling of a network of agents who were sending people to war-torn Russia under the pretenses of offering employment. The agents utilized social media to lure individuals into their scheme. According to the CBI, the network spanned across multiple states and ensnared approximately 35 victims.
Following the deaths of two Indians who were deceived into journeying to Russia, the CBI has issued a statement revealing that traffickers were operating within an “organized network”. According to the CBI, agents utilized social media platforms such as YouTube and exploited their local connections to entice “gullible” youth with promises of “lucrative jobs” in Russia.
Earlier, the BBC reported that a man from Uttar Pradesh state living in Moscow had stated that he was lured to Russia by a YouTube channel, which promised him a monthly salary of 150,000 rupees ($1813; £1,415).
“We were not told we are being drafted in an army,” he said.
The CBI stated that it discovered traffickers were training Indian nationals for combat roles and deploying them at front bases in the Russia-Ukraine war zone “against their wishes, thereby endangering their lives gravely.”
The agency initiated cases against several private visa consultancy firms and agents, conducting searches at 13 locations, including Delhi and Mumbai.
The CBI reported seizing cash worth 5m rupees, along with “incriminating documents” and electronic devices from these places and has detained some individuals for questioning.
India’s foreign ministry previously admitted, “that some Indian nationals have enlisted for support roles with the Russian army”. Additionally, it stated that it was collaborating with Russian authorities to facilitate the discharge of Indian nationals from the army.
The ministry also urged “all Indian nationals to exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict”.
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