Reuters: Nepal detains 10 suspects for allegedly recruiting youths into Russian army

Nepal arrests 10 individuals involved in a human smuggling ring, deceiving young people into recruitment into the Russian armed forces.

byYuri Zoria

06/12/2023

2 minute read

A citizen of Nepal fighting for the Russian forces captured by Ukrainians in southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Screenshot: Source.

Reuters: Nepal detains 10 suspects for allegedly recruiting youths into Russian army

In Nepal, authorities have apprehended ten individuals accused of charging unemployed youths substantial sums for travel visa and then facilitating their illegal recruitment into the Russian army, an official said on 6 December, Reuters reports. This development comes after Nepal urged Moscow not to recruit its citizens into the Russian military and requested the repatriation of six Nepali soldiers who lost their lives while serving in Russia's armed forces.

Bibek Khatri from Nepal, fighting on the Russian side, was taken prisoner by Ukrainian Armed Forces near Avdiivka.

He signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and served in one of the Russian Airborne Forces brigades.

Khatri openly admitted that he went to war to… pic.twitter.com/GlMmV5Hm94
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) October 19, 2023

Kathmandu District Police Chief Bhupendra Khatri confirmed the detention of the ten individuals, stating that they were taken into custody in response to recent tip-offs.

"We are discussing with the government lawyers about the case and will produce them to the court," Khatri told Reuters.

Khatri explained that the detainees had unlawfully imposed charges of up to $9,000 on each individual, subsequently sending them to Russia under the guise of "tourist visas," with the UAE often being used as a transit point, where they were subsequently enlisted into the Russian army.

"It is a case of human smuggling ... organized crime," Khatri added.

Amid high casualty rates in the Russian army, Russia has been recruiting mercenaries from various countries, including Cuba, Serbia, and Central-Asian countries.