Narayanpet: Sufiyan’s family anxious over his safety in Russia

Khan allegedly promised Sufiyan a security guard job in Russia and informed that he would have to undergo physical training for securing the job. After visiting his parents here in the district, Sufiyan left for Chennai on December 17 and then reached Dubai before flying to Russia.

Narayanpet: Ever since news of Hyderabadi youngster Mohammed Asfan’s death in war-torn Russia came to light, the family of Syed Sufiyan in Narayanpet is spending anxious moments and are appealing to the union government to expedite the process of getting their son back to India safely.

Twenty-three-year-old Sufiyan is one among the few Indian youngsters, who were duped by agents and deployed in the Russia-Ukraine war zone. Sufiyan was working as a helper in the packing section at Dubai airport when he came in online contact with Faizal Khan, an agent.

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Khan allegedly promised Sufiyan a security guard job in Russia and informed that he would have to undergo physical training for securing the job. After visiting his parents here in the district, Sufiyan left for Chennai on December 17 and then reached Dubai before flying to Russia.

“Soon after learning about Asfan’s death, he called us on Wednesday evening using a local soldier’s mobile. Sufiyan pleaded us to get him back to India early before it was too late,” his brother Salman said.

“He had called five days ago too, but his tone on Wednesday was different. During the two-minute phone call, though Sufiyan appeared calm and composed while speaking to our parents, his anxiety was palpable,” Salman said.

The sad part is that Sufiyan cannot use his mobile and speak to his family members due to restrictions and constant surveillance by the local army. It was being done to avoid locations tracking by drones or other equipment, said Salman, who works as an auto driver in Pune. He came back to Narayanpet after learning about his brother’s ordeal in Russia.

On Tuesday, Sufiyan’s father Syed Zahoor, a cab driver, mother Nasin Bhanu and other family members said they had met the district Collector and appealed to him to get Sufiyan safely back home. There was no communication from the Indian Embassy so far over his whereabouts, they said.