Several Indians have been duped to work with the Russian Army, the government said Friday, adding that they have "strongly" taken up the matter with the Russian authorities for their early discharge.
Nearly two dozen Indians are believed to have been forced into fighting Russia's war against Ukraine after being tricked by agents into going to the country on the pretext of getting high-paying jobs. One of them was even killed earlier this week in the conflict zone.
"Strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited them on false pretexts and promises," said an official release today.
The statement comes a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out raids in seven cities and busted a ring involved in trafficking Indians to Russia.
"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," the government said.
It emerged during the CBI raids that 35 Indians were sent by these firms to Russia and Ukraine, but an official said it was not clear if all of them were forced to take part in the war. At least 20 Indians trapped in Russia had contacted the Indian authorities, the foreign ministry had earlier said.
The government also appealed to the citizens not to be swayed by offers made by agents for support jobs with the Russian Army since it is "fraught with danger and risk to life."
"We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian Army and their eventual return home," the government added.
The centre had last month admitted some Indians are entangled in Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine after nearly a dozen families appealed for their return.
The families, belonging to different parts of the country, had claimed their sons were promised support jobs in Russia but were ultimately enlisted in the army. The unsuspecting Indians were given misleading translations of documents and made to sign up for military service.
Earlier this week, a group of young men from Punjab and Haryana made a video appeal to the government from Russia, claiming they were tricked into fighting the war against Ukraine.
Mohammed Asfan, a man from Hyderabad who was duped into joining the war, was killed this week. The Indian Embassy in Moscow has confirmed his death but did not mention the cause or what he was doing in that country.
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