CBI probes if Punjabis sent on fake passports to Russian warfront

Tribune News Service

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, March 8

A day after busting a major human trafficking network running across the country, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued extensive raids across several cities, including those in Punjab, on Friday.

200 misled by travel agencies

• Nearly 200 sent to Russia so far, 35 such instances established, suggests probe
• CBI quizzes kin of Dubai-based YouTube vlogger Faisal Khan, alias Baba
• TN woman Srividya detained, facilitated visas via contacts in Chennai consulate
• Russian woman among 3 named in FIR for facilitating military training

The probe agency is focussing on ascertaining whether fake passports were used by travel consultancies to send individuals from Punjab to the Russian warfront, besides the money involved, say sources privy to the investigation.

Investigations so far have revealed nearly 200 persons were sent to Russia, with around 35 such instances having been established. On Friday, raids were conducted in Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab.

In Mumbai, the agency is learnt to have interrogated family members of Faisal Khan, alias Baba, who ran Baba Vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd, Dubai, one of the four consultancies that the CBI has named as accused in the case.

Baba ran a YouTube channel, through which travel of several Indian men was reportedly facilitated to Russia, where they subsequently ended up at the Ukraine warfront, leading to the death of two of them so far.

Baba is currently in Dubai, the sources have said.

The CBI is also learnt to have detained for interrogation a Tamil Nadu woman, Srividya, who reportedly facilitated visas for Indians sent to Russia, as she had contacts in the Russian consulate in Chennai.

Investigators said the travel consultancies reportedly took the woman’s help after they apparently faced problems in facilitating visas for the Indian men from Delhi. Srividya reportedly helped in securing visas after the documents of the travellers were sent to her through courier.

Besides, the CBI has named three individuals — Russian woman Christina and two other individuals, Moinuddin Chhipa from Rajasthan and Santhosh from Tamil Nadu, both of whom are based in Russia — as accused in its FIR, registered on March 6.

Sources said the three reportedly took possession of passports of the Indian men upon their arrival in Russia and reportedly facilitated basic military training for them, before sending them to the warfront.

Investigators have cautioned people against falling into the trap of agencies claiming to offer lucrative jobs to youths in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Israel.

There is possibility that those detained for interrogation in the matter may be taken into custody soon, the sources further said.

On Thursday, the CBI conducted raids on 13 locations in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Ambala, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai, seizing Rs 50 lakh in cash, incriminating documents and electronic records.

Apart from Baba Vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd., Dubai, and its director Faisal Abdul Mutalib Khan @ Baba, the other accused named by the CBI are M/s 24x7 RAS Overseas Foundation, KG Marg, New Delhi, and its Director Suyash Mukut; M/s OSD Bros Travels & Visa Services Pvt Ltd., Mumbai, and its director Rakesh Pandey; and M/s Adventure Visa Services Pvt Ltd., Chandigarh, Punjab, and its director Manjeet Singh.

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#Central Bureau of Investigation CBI #Russia