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Recruiting in the Russian Army: Human Trafficking

Jun 30, Kathmandu- Khagendra Khatri did not get a job even after completing his JTA in Agriculture from Dang. He had to earn to pay off the debt he incurred while studying and to support his family. Raised by a single father, Khagendra decided to go to Korea. He was from Gangadev in Rolpa and started learning Korean language while living in Tulsipur in Dang.

Nim Bahadur Kunwar and Mohan Oli of Salyan called 'Sushant' lived near Khagendra's place. They encouraged Khagendra to go to Russia where it would be "more lucrative" than the hassle of going to Korea. He offered a salary of three lakh rupees per month in the Russian army, and after one year he would get Russian citizenship. Ganesh Neupane, who was in touch with these two, said that it was a waste of money and time to dream about Korea.

Earlier, Sushant and Mohan had sent Abhishek Budha from Rolpa's Nuwagaon to Russia. They talked about Khagendra with Abhishek, who had joined the army there but had not gone to battle. Abhishek further enticed him to join the Russian army. Now the government has confirmed that Abhishek died during the battle.

According to the young man who joined the Russian army and escaped from there, Raj Oli of Chatreswari of Salyan, who is related to Mohan Oli, lives in Russia. He is married to a woman who works in the Russian Police.

The Oli brothers recruit Nepali youths who want to go abroad into the Russian army by giving them various inducements and charge a huge amount of money for that.

Dal Bahadur Oli of Gangadev in Rolpa, a relative of Khagendra, also went to Russia after paying Mohan Oli seven lakh rupees. Tara Gharti from Damachour, Salyan was also going to Russia. According to the family, Tara died after being shot by the Ukrainian army during the fighting.

Khagendra and Dal Bahadur, who reached Russia on Ashwin 30, returned to Nepal via Delhi on Kartik 16 via Azerbaijan Airlines. Dal Bahadur is currently working as a laborer in the Indian Himalayas, while Khagendra is trying to figure out how to return the money he gave to the broker and go to another country.

Khagendra and Dal Bahadur gave three lakhs in cash to Mohan Oli to join the Russian army and the remaining amount was deposited in the bank account of Nim Bahadur Kunwar and Ganesh Neupane under their instructions (H. Banking transaction). Their visas came within 10 days of paying the money. Two days after leaving Kathmandu, they reached Russia's capital Moscow via Dubai.