The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said it has busted a major human trafficking network involved in trafficking of Indian nationals for combat roles in the Russian Army and arrested four in connection with the case.
“These traffickers have been operating as an organized network across the country. They were luring Indian nationals through social media platforms like YouTube etc. and also through their local agents for highly paid jobs in Russia,” the CBI said in a statement.
“The trafficked Indian Nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at tront bases in Russia – Ukraine War Zone against their wishes,” It said.
A case of human trafficking was registered against private Visa Consultancy Firms and agents who were involved in trafficking of Indian Nationals to Russia under the guise of better employment and high paying jobs.
The human trafficking network of these agents is spread over several States across the country and beyond, the agency said.
In the case, the CBI arrested two accused, individuals who are residents of Kerala, and two other accused persons, who are residents of Mumbai.
The accused, identified as Nijil Jobi Bensam, was found to be the key member of the network. He was working in Russia on a contract basis as a translator and was operating within Russia to facilitate the recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian Army.
