India urges citizens not to risk lives by taking up support jobs with Russian Army

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that several Indians have been 'duped' to work with the Russian Army and New Delhi has strongly taken up the matter with Moscow for their early discharge.

New Delhi: Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a human trafficking racket involved in hiring citizens of India to work with the Russian Army units deployed for a “special military operation” in Ukraine, New Delhi has strongly asked Moscow to ensure their early discharge and return to home soon.

New Delhi has also been in touch with Moscow for the repatriation of the mortal remains of two Indians, who were killed while working as a member of the support staff of the Russian Army.

The government had last week stated that ‘20-odd people’ working as members of the support staff of the Russian Army had contacted New Delhi’s diplomatic mission in Moscow and efforts were on for their ‘early discharge’. The number, however, went up, as the Embassy of India in Moscow came to know about a few more Indians caught in a similar situation with the Russian Army units in Ukraine.

“Several Indian nationals have been duped to work with the Russian Army,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), told journalists in New Delhi on Friday. “We have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian government for the early discharge of such Indian nationals”.

The CBI on Thursday conducted raids in 15 locations in seven cities and busted a human trafficking racket that had recruited youths from India for jobs in Russia, sent them to the former Soviet Union nation, and then forced them to work as members of the support staff of the Russian Army in the battlegrounds of Ukraine.

“Strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited them on false pretexts and promises,” said Jaiswal, adding: “The CBI yesterday busted a major human trafficking network conducting searches in several cities and collecting incriminating evidence. A case of human trafficking has been registered against several agents.”

Two Indians – Mohammed Afsan of Hyderabad and Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya of Surat – were killed while working with the Russian Army units in Ukraine. Jaiswal said that New Delhi was in touch with Moscow to bring back the mortal remains of the two Indians.

“We once again appeal to Indian nationals to not be swayed by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian Army. This is fraught with danger and risk to life,” the MEA spokesperson said. “We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian Army and their eventual return home.”