One more Thrissur man held for trafficking Malayalis to Russian army

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Thrissur: In an ongoing investigation into the trafficking of Malayalis to the Russian army, a third man, Sibi P O (25), was arrested in Thrissur. This comes after two other suspects, Sandeep Thomas (40) from Ernakulam and Sumesh Antony (40) from Thrissur, were taken into custody by Wadakkanchery Police on Saturday.
The trio allegedly recruited youths with promises of high-paying jobs in Russia but instead trafficked them into military service, police said. The accused face charges under the Emigration Act, human trafficking, and cheating, police added.
Thrissur Rural SP confirmed the initial arrests of Sandeep and Sumesh from the district. Both were allegedly involved in luring local youths to Russia under false pretences of employment as non-military roles, such as canteen workers and electricians. The arrests followed detailed police interrogations.
Sandeep, who has been living in Russia, is believed to be the prime conspirator. Using his network, he recruited individuals from various districts in Kerala. Meanwhile, Sumesh acted as an intermediary, operating from Chalakudy. The duo lured locals with false promises of employment as canteen workers and electricians.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Joicy John, the widow of Binil T B, who died while serving in the Russian Military Support Service, and Kurian, the father of Jayin Kurien, who was injured and is receiving treatment in Moscow. The victims, both ITI mechanical diploma holders, had travelled to Russia in April 2024 with hopes of securing jobs as electricians and plumbers. However, their passports were seized upon arrival, and they were instead deployed to a war zone.