Meet Baba Vlog’s Faisal Khan, A Class 6 Drop-Out From Mumbai Who ‘Duped’ Indians To Work For Russian Army

Accused number 12 in the Central Bureau Of Investigation’s (CBI) charge sheet filed in the pan-Indian human trafficking network bust, Faisal Abdul Muttalib Khan, lured or duped over 30 persons into working for Russian army and companies in the Gulf region.

Khan, who became famous for his YouTube channel Baba Vlogs, posted several videos promising jobs to people in countries like Russia, Dubai, Serbia, Singapore among others.

In a video uploaded on his channel in September 2023, Faisal Khan can be heard talking about the benefits of joining the Russian army, of which the main selling point was a “special government card which will ensure that you get priority everywhere”. Not only this, the card can also be used as a basis to apply for Schengen visas and permanent residency.

“The government there feels that all those helping in these times need to be given benefit. It will give you permanent residency,” Khan was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

BABA VLOGS PROMISES JOBS

It was Khan’s Baba Vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd., that allegedly lured 30-year-old Mohammad Afsan from Hyderabad to Moscow. As per Afsan’s family, he was promised job as a help, where he could Rs 1-2 lakh.

The traffickers allegedly charged Rs 3 lakh from Afsan. In a call made to his family in January, the 30-year-old had said that he was in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don and deployed to fight at the Russian-Ukraine frontline.

Four days ago, Afsan was killed in the warzone, as per a social media post by the Russian authorities.

He had come in contact with Khan after watching a video on Baba Vlogs YouTube channel.

The news of Afsan’s death came two weeks after 23-year-old Hamil Mangukiya from Surat was killed.

However, Mangukiya had reportedly applied for a job in Russia through an online advertisement and reached Moscow from Chennai. He was roped in as an assistant in the Russian Army.

‘…BEYOND MY CONTROL’, SAYS FAISAL KHAN

Faisal Khan spoke to News18 from Dubai earlier and said that nothing he had done was “illegal”. Khan said that he had been working in this field for the last seven years, sending over ‘1,000 persons’ to work abroad, adding that he had built a “trust” in the market.

“I have sent a total of 35 persons, I am also a victim here,” Khan told Indian Express. He said that the agents and handlers in Russia assured him that these men would not be deployed on the war frontline.

Whatever happened after these men reached Russia “was beyond my control”, Khan was quoted as saying. According to Baba, after he found about the frontline deployment, he tried his best to get the men back. He told News18 that he had gotten six of the men — who were stuck — out of there.

‘PEOPLE AWARE OF RISKS INVOLVED’

Faisal Khan had reportedly said that the persons applying for these jobs were aware of the risks that came with it. They knowingly, in order to earn more, decided to take up the jobs.

“The contract explicitly explained the risks involved with the job. While they were not to be deployed on the frontline, being associated with the military work in a war zone does have risks involved,” he was quoted as saying by IE.

He said that he had done nothing to dupe or lure these people, he was just trying to help people get jobs and earn better abroad.

WHO IS FAISAL KHAN?

A class 6 dropout from Mumbai’s Vasai, Faisal Khan used to run odd-jobs in the area. He was working as a raw fish seller in Dadar, from where avenues opened for him, leading Khan to abroad.

From there, he started this business of helping people go abroad for menial jobs and fairly decent salary.

In 2018 in fact, he was questioned by the ATS after a 23-year-old Mumbai man — who was sent to Dubai by Khan — informed his family that he converted to Islam. Luckily for Khan, no case was registered against him.

Following this, Khan started putting out videos on his YouTube channel — Baba Vlogs — about jobs in abroad and how to get there. This garnered him popularity with a following number of three lakh subscribers at present.

It was in 2023 July, that he started promotion job opportunities in July. He had said in his promotional video that the men, in Russian army recruitment, won’t have to fight in the war. Rather, they would have to take care of the home front, clear demolished buildings, among other things.

In one of his videos, he had assured candidates that no risk was involved and that he himself had gone and verified the safety of everything.

HOW IS THE RECRUITMENT DONE?

News18 learnt that the main kingpin of this recruitment (alleged human trafficking) network is said to be one Ramesh, who works in the Russian Army.

Ramesh informs Khushpreet, a restaurant owner in St Petersburg, about the vacancies in the military. This restaurant owner then passes this information onto another agent Moin, which is further passed down to Faisal Khan.

These men, named by the CBI in its charge sheet, have defended themselves saying that they were the ones who also asked the families to file FIR and ask help from the Indian government to get their loved ones back.

Moin also spoke to News18 and said that they are being falsely accused and they, in fact, are the “victims” here. Moin said that he was the one who helped everyone in reality. He or Baba had never gone to the recruitment centre, Moin said.