(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan Government was urged on Friday to create a special committee to investigate the number of ex-service personnel who have been recruited by human traffickers to fight on both sides of the Ukraine-Russian war.
MP Dayasiri Jayasekera from the Opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) also queried on the course of action that the Government has initiated so far to combat this alleged scam.
MP Jayasekera said that certain organized groups are luring Sri Lankans, who are struggling financially, to travel to Russia and Ukraine and work as camp helpers for a small salary.
“However, they are later offered a salary of around 1.5 million if they wish to fight on the front line of both sides.
The Government must appoint a committee at the very earliest to look into this issue,” MP Jayasekera told the House.
There have been several recent arrests which include a senior retired army officer in connection with the illegal recruitment of former service personnel for postings on both sides of the Ukraine-Russian war.
For its part however, the Russian Embassy in Colombo has vehemently denied any involvement in the recruitment of Sri Lankan mercenaries saying the scam was being carried out by human traffickers.
The exact number of Sri Lankans currently embedded in the Ukraine-Russian war cannot be reached although it is believed to be in the many hundreds.
