Investigators in India have announced that federal police arrested four people accused of duping young men into going to Russia to fight in the Ukraine war.
At least two Indians have been killed in the conflict, with many more saying they were lured to Russia and sent to the front lines under false pretenses.
What we know about the trafficking operation
Two of the four suspects were arrested on Tuesday, India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said, while another two were arrested on April 24.
They included a translator, a person who would arrange visas and plane tickets, and two main recruiters operating in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The CBI said "gullible youths" would be promised lucrative jobs or university places, only to be forced to the front line in Ukraine after arriving in Russia. The operation targeted victims using online platforms such as YouTube.
"The trafficked Indian nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases ... against their wishes, thus putting their lives in grave danger," said a CBI press release.
It added that investigations were ongoing against other accused people believed to be part of an international network.
The arrests come two months after investigators raided 13 locations in India and detained several suspects.
At the time, the CBI said it had recorded at least 35 instances of Indians being lured to Russia.
The Indian Foreign Ministry has said it is working to secure discharges from the Russian army for some 20 Indian nationals.
New Delhi has refused to condemn Moscow over the war, instead calling for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. The countries have enjoyed a close trading relationship for decades.
