The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended four individuals implicated in the trafficking of Indian nationals, who were coerced into fighting in the Russian army amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, disclosed agency officials on Wednesday.
Two recruiters, Arun and Yesudas Junior (known as Priyan), were nabbed in Trivandrum, Kerala, on Tuesday. Anthony Michael Elangovan and Nijli Jobi Bensam were arrested on April 24 from Mumbai and Tamil Nadu, respectively.
Elangovan allegedly aided a co-conspirator, Faisal Baba in Dubai, UAE, and others in Russia to process visas in Chennai and book air tickets for the victims. Bensam, who worked in Russia as a translator, was a key member of the network recruiting Indian nationals into the Russian army.
The arrests come after a surge in reports of Indians being coerced into joining the Russian army under false pretenses. The CBI initiated a nationwide search, leading to the dismantling of a significant trafficking network. Over 35 cases were uncovered, and several individuals were detained. Additionally, incriminating evidence and over Rs. 50 lakh were seized.
The traffickers operated through social media and local agents, promising high-paying jobs in Russia. Victims were trained for combat roles and deployed in the war zone against their will, endangering their lives.
Following the viral video of a man from Kalimpong sharing his ordeal of being trafficked into the Russian army, the Central Government intervened, prompting the CBI inquiry and subsequent arrests.
Indian authorities have taken swift action to address the trafficking of Indian nationals for combat roles in the Russian Army, apprehending four individuals in connection with the scheme.
