India arrests four people for enticing young men to fight for Russia in Ukraine | Unemployment news

The arrests come two months after investigators conducted raids at 13 locations in India and detained several people for questioning.

An Indian federal investigative agency says four people linked to a human trafficking network have been arrested for luring young men to Russia with the promise of lucrative jobs or university admissions, only to force them to fight in the war in Ukraine .

The four Indian nationals arrested included a translator, a person who facilitated visa processing and booking of airline tickets, and two “key recruiters” for the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said ) late Tuesday with .

About 35 Indian men were cheated in this way, the agency said in March.

Investigations “are continuing against other accused who are part of this international network of human traffickers,” the CBI said, announcing the arrests, which came two months after raids at 13 locations in India in which investigators detained several people for questioning .

The families of two Indian men killed in the war say they went to Russia hoping to work as “helpers” in the army.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) says every case involving Russia has been “strongly handled”. The MEA had earlier said it was also working to ensure the release of around 20 Indian nationals from the Russian army.

Several Indian recruits told Al Jazeera they were lured into joining by promises of high salaries and Russian passports before being sent to the front.

The soldiers said they were promised non-combatant roles but were trained to use assault rifles and other weapons before being sent to Ukraine.

Despite rapid economic growth, unemployment remains high in India and large numbers of the unemployed seek work abroad each year, including thousands who sought labor shortages in Israel after the country launched a war on Gaza last October.

The Russian army repelled a much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive last year and has since made progress on the front as Kiev struggles with ammunition and manpower shortages.

India refused to condemn Russia over the war and instead called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict. The two countries have enjoyed a close relationship for decades, trading goods ranging from fighter jets to tea.

India has also increased its purchases of cheap Russian oil since the war, with Moscow becoming its top oil supplier for the second consecutive year in the last financial year.