Special unit set up to gather information on traffickers:
Calls for stricter vetting at BIA:
Retired Army Major General described as ‘kingpin’ in racket:
The licensed foreign employment industry yesterday chose to distance itself from the mercenary recruiting scam that has rocked the country and instead called on the authorities to conduct a closer vetting process on those leaving the country on visit visas and holding a valid return air passage.
President of the Association for Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) Farouk Marrikar said he had repeatedly warned the authorities on the rising number of Sri Lankans being trafficked to various countries through the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and among them, there could be the so-called mercenaries.
“There are trained personnel at special units at the BIA to screen outbound Sri Lankan passengers. Their task, however, difficult it may be would be, to pay more attention to suspicious outbound passengers such as checking closely on the bonafide of their travel claims.
It is an uphill task because there is no legal provision to bar a person from leaving the country through legitimate channels whether as a mercenary or not.
“The officials will have to maintain a clever approach, at all times owing to the sensitive nature of the matter. Separating the genuine traveller from the others is no easy task”, Marrikar said. He added that ALFEA agents have stayed clear of the Russian-Ukraine issue and intend to keep it that way while offering whatever assistance and cooperation that would be needed by the authorities in fighting this scourge.
ALFEA’s reaction comes after the defence authorities aided by other State intelligence units have to come together to launch a crackdown on the human traffickers behind the hiring of mercenaries. At least 10 persons have so far been arrested in this connection including a retired Major General of the Army who has been described by investigators as the kingpin behind the racket.
In the most recent development, the Defence Ministry has set up a special unit to gather information from the public on the recruitment of former soldiers as mercenaries to be enlisted on both sides of the Russian-Ukraine war.
The Defence Ministry has called upon the family members of those who have already been recruited as mercenaries to provide the dates of their departure and persons and institutions that had coordinated their passages to either Ukraine or Russia.
The Defence Ministry has also called upon the public to provide information about those involved in the trafficking of former soldiers.
“This effort is to safeguard the safety of Sri Lankan citizens. Everyone is encouraged to pay special attention and provide information in this regard,” according to the Ministry statement on Friday.
Two-hundred former Sri Lankan soldiers are believed to have been sent to the Russian-Ukraine war front by human traffickers.
Human trafficking
Defence Secretary, General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne said that rogue foreign employment agencies engaged in human trafficking have recruited an undisclosed number of former Sri Lankan soldiers with false promises of bloated perks and even citizenship for their families.
They also offer the mercenaries with prime land blocks in Russia while maintaining that the recruits will be based only in military installations and will not be exposed on the battle field, Gunaratne said.
The agents also demand a fee of one million rupees more from each recruit, Gunaratne added.
Investigations have revealed that those who have been recruited have not received any of the promised perks while some of them have been killed and wounded in the ongoing war, Gunaratne said.
“The whereabouts of those who have left the country to either Ukraine or Russia remain unknown and many are feared dead or injured,” he said.
“We are diligently working to identify these persons, as they have joined the war not as legitimate soldiers, but recruited as mercenaries,” he said.
Former Army Commander and present Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva also issued a plea to his fellow veterans, urging them to resist the allure of mercenary service.
“These veterans, once the pride of our nation, have succumbed to the seductive promises of riches and adventure, forsaking the values that define us as warriors and patriots,” General Silva said.
He also said that as members of the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka, “We are bound by duty, honour, and a deep sense of loyalty to our motherland. We have stood valiantly in the face of adversity, sacrificing for the greater good of our nation. Yet, there are whispers of temptation, enticing some of our comrades to forsake their loyalty for the allure of easy money and transient glory.”
Homeland
“Our bravery is not a commodity to be traded for personal gain; it is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the protection and prosperity of our homeland.”
He said, ”Mercenary warfare is not a noble pursuit; it is a path fraught with danger and moral ambiguity. Those who choose to walk this path risk tarnishing the reputation of our esteemed military. As members of a victorious military who defeated the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world, we must uphold the honour and integrity of our profession”.
Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara also warned the public against seeking military employment opportunities in foreign countries.
Issuing a statement, the Minister highlighted the presence of a human trafficking network that is currently facilitating the recruitment of Sri Lankan youth for military service in Russia.
Retired military personnel are being enlisted by these traffickers under the guise of offering lucrative positions within the Russian army. However, instead of legitimate military service, these people are being deployed to serve in the Russian mercenary group known as Wagner, the Minister said.
The statement added that these recruits are being assigned to frontline security duties and that they have gone unpaid for several months.
Minister Nanayakkara said that no person will be sent abroad for military service without prior approval from the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Government.
Tourist visas
The SLBFE also calls upon people to refrain from seeking employment opportunities abroad on tourist visas under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan military veterans, who had illegally joined as mercenaries in Russia and subsequently escaped and returned to the island, claim that around 1,000 Sri Lankans are currently fighting in the Ukraine – Russia warfront.
However, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said that the figures cannot be confirmed, since the investigations are still under way regarding the identities of these persons.
According to investigators, 114 Sri Lankan soldiers and ex-soldiers have left the country to join the Ukrainian army.
They said investigations have revealed that 60 Sri Lankans have been sent to Russia, while another 23 have been sent to Ukraine for combat duties.
Investigators have also confirmed the deaths of at least six Sri Lankans on the Russian-Ukraine battlefield with scores of others injured and many listed as Missing in Action (MiA).
