Sumedha Sharma
Gurugram, March 7
Two days after the video of seven “tourists” from Punjab and Haryana being forced to fight Russia’s war went viral, local agents have issued a warning to those going to Russia posing as tourists to gain easy entry to Europe to not fall for any recruitment drive for “army helpers” offering lucrative salaries and to stay away from cities like Belarus.
Misleading pitch
- Various recruitment agents from across the globe, especially the UAE and Dubai, have been sharing tutorials on getting a job as army helper. They have been claiming that people will not have to fight on the front, and many Indians and Pakistanis are waiting to cross over. One of the most popular videos is of Dubai-based Faisal Khan, who has a presence on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as Baba Vlogs.
“Russia generally has strict immigration rules and people cannot overstay their visas. It is not even required as after travelling a few hundred kilometres, they enter Europe and get asylum. There is a well-oiled network of agents who aid transit but things have gone downhill. These men, who are finding it hard to cross over owing to increased vigilance, are falling a prey to YouTube videos and taking up army helper jobs,” revealed a travel agent from Punjab.
Various recruitment agents from across the globe, especially the UAE and Dubai, have been sharing tutorials on getting a job as army helper. They have been claiming that people will not have to fight on the front, and many Indians and Pakistanis are waiting to cross over. One of the most popular videos is of Dubai-based Faisal Khan, who has a presence on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as Baba Vlogs.
In a video circulating in agent networks, he is asking them to pay him $3,600 to get a job as a helper in the Russian army. “You don’t have to fight. All you have to do is to clear demolished buildings, look after armouries, and after a year of service, you’ll be eligible for permanent residence,” he says.
Meanwhile, one of the “tourists” stuck in Russia revealed that local agents had gone rogue and doubled the charges to help them cross over to Europe. “There seems to be an annoucement of some bounty on illegal immigrants or tourists as they are asking extra money. Those who fail to pay are being handed over to the authorities. Our Indian agents have asked us to lie low and not trust anyone,” he said.
A majority of these men have already paid between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to their Indian agents and are out of money.
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