India: Trafficking Racket Allegedly Dupes People into Fighting for Russia

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Facts

  • India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed an alleged 'major human trafficking network,' which it claims has tricked some 35 Indian nationals with the false promise of job opportunities but forced them to fight for Russia in Ukraine.1
  • This comes after 245 Nepalese families filed petitions claiming that their relatives were trapped in the Russian army. While the government of Nepal has demanded its citizens be 'immediately returned,' India has warned its people to 'exercise due caution and stay away from this conflict.'2
  • Furthermore, the CBI is investigating several visa consultancy firms across India, having already detained multiple suspects and seized ₹50M (about $60.4K).3
  • Last month, five Indians told AFP that they had applied to be 'army helpers' in Russia for $1.2K per month after watching recruitment videos on social media, which were reportedly posted by Dubai-based employment agent Faisal Khan.4
  • Among people allegedly duped into fighting for Russia, 30-year-old Mohammad Afsan and 23-year-old Hemil Ashwinbhai Mangukiya have been killed. While Afsan was shot dead at an outpost on the Russia-Ukraine border, Mangukiya was killed in an airstrike.5
  • India's external affairs ministry is currently coordinating with Russian authorities to bring back the remaining 20 Indians stranded in Russia as well as the bodies of the deceased.3

Sources: 1Reuters.com, 2Business Insider, 3The Economic Times (a), 4The Economic Times (b) and 5New York Post.

Narratives

  • Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. While this trafficking ring seems to be headquartered in the Middle East, Russian soldiers are taking full advantage of it by forcing these victims to the frontlines of the war. The Russian government must put an end to this scheme and ensure human trafficking is no longer a part of its war strategy.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by RT International. If this were some secret pro-Russia recruitment scheme, Moscow would be doing a terrible job at it. Criminal human traffickers — who are charging these men fees to obtain visas that don't exist — are violating Russian laws for profit. Moscow is already working with the Indian embassy to return these victims to India.

Predictions