Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Parliament from AIMIM, has raised concerns about twelve Indians, including three men from Telangana, who fell victim to fraud by job agents promising security guard jobs in Russia. These men are now being forced to be a part of the Russian army against the Ukraine. Owaisi has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging intervention to help secure the return of these Indian citizens, deceived by a job agent and dispatched to the war zone.
Duped, Cheated, Sent To Die
The people went to Russia on the pretext of getting jobs as security guards, instead, they were taught how to use basic weapons and then made to go to the battlefield. They were tricked into joining the army and sent to fight in Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Donetsk.
“Unemployed men from Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh were promised jobs by agents in Russia, where they were told that they would work as building security agents but were duped and sent to the battlefield. I met the families of these men in December last year who sought help from me. I’ve written to the External Affairs Minister and India’s Ambassador to Russia to bring them back,” Owaisi said in a press conference.
YouTuber behind the ‘dirty’ job trick
The MP also disclosed the name of the job agent as Faisal Khan. Faisal runs a YouTube channel named ‘Baba Vlogs’, where he posts videos on how to get lucrative jobs abroad. According to reports, he also manages the work permits for those who fall prey to his tactics. The YouTuber, with over 300,000 subscribers, is said to have been the mastermind behind the whole foul play.
“Faisal Khan, who is in Dubai, along with Sufiyaan and Poja from Mumbai, cheated the men.” Faisal Khan, Sufiyan and Poja know each other. Mr Khan has mentioned the contact details of the duo in the description of his YouTube videos,” MP added.
“These men made videos where they shared their ordeal. They were forced onto the frontline and faced gunfire on the battlefield. One of their companions has died in the war,” Mr Owaisi said.
“Mohammed Asfan, Arbab Hussain and Zahoor Ahmed are seeking help to return to Hyderabad. It is learnt that the above people went to Russia for job purposes but they were misguided by the Indian Agents and were forced into the Russian Army. They are not being given training either. They have not contacted their families for 25 days and their families are very much worried about them and intend to return them to India, as they are the only bread earners of their families,” he added.