A criminal gang in Russia been accused of stealing recruitment payments for homeless people they forced to sign on to fight in the war in Ukraine.
The scam in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions involved the gang targeting homeless people by giving them temporary accommodation and then pressuring them into signing military contracts, The Moscow Times reported.
The recruits were forced to issue power of attorney to the gang who accessed their bank accounts, according to the internal ministry which said seven people face charges.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian internal ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Russia has offered lucrative financial incentives to attract recruits to fight in Ukraine which include large signing-on bonuses, salaries higher than the national average, and compensation for families in the event of injuries or death.
The case seemingly uncovered by Russia’s authorities shows these high payments are also an incentive for criminal gangs.
What To Know
The Moscow Times Russian reported that homeless people had been targeted by the gang. The group selected people living an “antisocial lifestyle,” gave them temporary housing and persuaded them to sign contracts with Russia’s defense ministry.
The recruits were forced to hand over power of attorney and bank cards to the gang, giving them almost complete financial control.
There were also women in the gang who entered fictitious marriages with recruits to get the compensation payments if they were injured or killed.
Russian internal affairs spokesperson Irina Volk posted on Telegram what she claimed was video of a Federal Security Service (FSB) raid of properties linked to the scam and the arrests of those accused of siphoning off military compensation payments.
Investigators seized three vehicles, around 60 mobile phones, bank cards, SIM cards, and other evidence, and a criminal case under Article 159 of Russia’s Criminal Code (which covers large-scale fraud) has been launched.
Seven people aged between 25 and 50 are in custody, she added.
It is the latest publicly revealed fraud case linked to the war in Ukraine. On November 22, Russia’s National Guard said an organized crime group in Moscow had been arrested, accused of kidnapping war veterans and extorting money from them and their families.
In October, 30 people were arrested suspected of extortion, fraud and theft from Russian troops targeted at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport as they returned home, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
What People Are Saying
Irina Volk, Russia’s internal affairs ministry: “The defendants selected persons leading an antisocial lifestyle, provided them with temporary housing and persuaded them to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense.”
What Happens Next
Authorities have said the investigation is ongoing.
The public release of the case’s details could highlight a push by the Russian government to target embezzlement of military funds at a time when payments, which are putting the economy under strain, are being cut back.
