The Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that India has strongly raised the matter of Indians getting duped in Russia. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the CBI has conducted raids on such agencies that have resorted to human trafficking. "We are doing our best to locate the persons and bring them back to India,” Jaiswal further stated.
Speaking to reporters, Jaiswal said, "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 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."
Two Russia-based agents involved in the human trafficking network that pushed Indians into the Ukraine war zone are under the CBI scanner, news agency PTI reported on Friday, citing officials. The central probe agency busted the network on Thursday.
The MEA stated that around 20 Indians have contacted the ministry from Russia who wish to return to India as they were allegedly duped into this human trafficking racket. They have been cheated and taken away, and this is a case of human trafficking, the ministry said. The CBI has carried out some raids in this case. We appeal to people not to fall into any kind of trap, the ministry further stated.
According to the MEA, at least two Indians have been killed in Russia, and one Indian was killed in an Israeli missile attack. “Our experts have examined the equipment at Mumbai Port and have concluded that these are dual in nature (CIVIL + MILITARY),” the MEA said.
According to the officials, the agents allegedly confiscated the passports of Indians arriving in Russia and forced them to fight with the armed forces.
According to PTI, Christina and Moinuddin Chippa, a resident of Rajasthan, are based in Russia and were facilitating the trafficking of Indian youth to Russia by offering them lucrative job opportunities there, officials said. The officials further stated that the central probe agency's FIR has listed 17 other Visa consultancy companies, their owners and agents spread across India, they said.
The agency has booked them under Indian Penal Code Sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and human trafficking.
The CBI has alleged that the accused persons through their agents trafficked Indian nationals to Russia on the pretext of getting jobs related to the Russian Army, security guards, helpers, better life, and education, and a huge amount was charged from these people illegally.
The agents also duped students by providing them admission to dubious private Universities in Russia instead of government or public Universities by offering discounted fees, and visa extensions and ultimately leaving them "at the mercy" of local agents.