According to a CBI official on Wednesday, four men—among them a translator—were taken into custody on suspicion of smuggling Indian nationals into Russia under the pretense of better jobs and subsequently delivering them to the Russia-Ukraine conflict zone.

According to the officials, two residents of Trivandrum, Kerala, named Arun and Yesudas Junior, also known as Priyan, were taken into custody on Tuesday.

On April 24, two additional defendants were apprehended: Nijil Jobi Bensam, a Kanyakumari resident, and Anthony Michael Elangovan, a Mumbai resident.

According to a top Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official, on March 6 the organisation dismantled a significant nationwide network of human traffickers that preyed on impressionable young people by promising them lucrative jobs overseas.

These traffickers have been functioning as a well-organized network, enticing Indian citizens to apply for well-paying jobs in Russia through social media sites like YouTube and others, as well as through local contacts and agents.

“Thereafter, the trafficked Indian Nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in the Russia – Ukraine War Zone against their wishes, thus, putting their lives in grave danger,” stated a top CBI official.

It has been determined by the CBI that a few of the victims suffered severe injuries while in the conflict zone.