Recruitment to Russian mercenary army took place in the Gulf as well 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has found that youngsters, including Malayalis, were recruited from the Gulf as well to help the Russian mercenaries in the war against Ukraine. This was carried out under the leadership of Faisal Abdul Mutalib Khan, a Maharashtra native living in Dubai. Faisal aka Baba, trafficked youths to Russia under the guise of offering the posts of delivery boy, helper and data operator in Russia. The youths were also promised Russian citizenship and family visas. It is indicated that several Malayalis are among the victims of fraud. CBI has registered a case against Faisal.

The recruitment in Kerala was carried out under the leadership of Tamil Nadu natives Srividya and Ramesh Kumar Palaniswami, and Santhosh from Russia. They recruited the youths through social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X. It is reported that 180 youths were trafficked.

Handed over to Wagner Group
The officials suspect that the accused trafficked several youngsters by providing student visas. The youngsters were handed over to the Wagner Group, a private force in Russia. 35 Indians on the Ukrainian battlefront have been identified. It is also reported that Russia is shifting Indians to safe havens as per India's demand. The CBI says that the Russian government had no direct role in the recruitment. Recruitment was carried out in various states, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

The CBI has registered a case against 19 people, including three Malayalis. The Malayali people among the accused are Thiruvananthapuram Thumba native Domiraj, Kadinamkulam native Robert and Puthucurichy native Sajin Dixon. Documents and lakhs of rupees have been seized from the recruiting agency at Thakaraparambu, Thiruvananthapuram. According to reports, the accused are in CBI custody.