Mumbai: Following the death of two Indians who were duped into joining Russia’s war against Ukraine, it has emerged that an Indian individual was involved in the racket.
Identified as Faisal Abdul Mutallib Khan, he operates a recruitment agency and hosts a popular YouTube channel named Baba Vlogs.
Faisal allegedly lured numerous people with promises of lucrative positions in non-combat roles in the Russian army. However, a significant number of them were subsequently coerced into participating in the conflict.
A September 2023 video shows Faisal assuring his audience that in addition to a generous salary – between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1 lakh on completion of 3 months of training — individuals joining the Russian army would also receive a government card facilitating them to get a permanent residency.
Faisal’s employment agency provides workers in different countries.
In a conversation with The Indian Express, Faisal said that he sent as many as 35 Indians to Russia. Calling himself a victim, Faisal, in his mid-30s, said that the handlers in Russia had told him that the workers would not be deployed in war and the army required people for tasks such as clearing demolished buildings, handling arms and ammunition.
Faisal further claimed that he tried to get the men back but what happened to them after they reached Russia was beyond his control.
A resident of Dadar in Mumbai, Faisal went to Dubai in 2008 to work as a salesman. He started his consultancy Baba Vlogs in 2016 and has 3 lakh followers on YouTube.
The last video he posted, on January 8, was about a visit to New Zealand.
