Nepal arrests men who were transporting young people to Russia for war

The police of Nepal detained 10 men who were sending young people to Russia to be recruited into the Russian army.

Source: Reuters; ВВС.

Details: The Kathmandu District Police reports that the detainees collected up to US$9,000 from the victims and sent them to Russia on tourist visas through the UAE.

After that, they were recruited into the Russian army. "It is a case of human smuggling ... organised crime," said Kathmandu District Police chief Bhupendra Khatri.

Nepali soldiers, called Gurkhas, serve in the UK and Indian armies under an agreement between the three countries. Nepal has no such agreements with Russia.

Background: 

• Earlier, a video was posted on social media in which a man allegedly captured by Ukrainian fighters says in English that he is a 22-year-old student from Nepal.
• He said he has been "here" for only about 1.5 months, claiming that his visa ran out, he had no money, and that's why he decided to join the ranks of the Russian army.
• "The university told me to pay money, but I had no money. The university says, 'you don’t give money, you return back to your country.' I didn't want to return without money. I had no other choice and then I joined the military. Non big money, just 4,000 roubles [approximately US$43] for one month and 20 days. They told [me they’d give me] 195,000 roubles [about US$2,130]... per one salary, but they didn’t give me [that much]. Just 4,000 roubles… From Nepal, I don't know correct exactly [how many people are fighting] but a friend told us [there are] more than 4,000-5,000 people. There were five Nepalis in the rear zone, and the group [consisted] of 23 people. [I want to return, but] definitely not to Russia, just to my homeland. I don't have roubles and many friends are killed," he said.
• Nepal addressed Russia with a demand not to recruit its citizens into the Russian army after it became known that six Nepalis who fought on the Russian side had been killed in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country published the names of the dead and asked to send their bodies to Nepal, as well as pay compensation to their families.

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