All you need to know about OSD Bros Travels: The Mumbai-based firm behind 'cheap visas' to Russia

Days after the CBI busted human trafficking networks that were allegedly sending Indian youth to the conflict zone after promising lucrative jobs, a Malad-based company in Mumbai that operates by name OSD Bros Travels & Visa Services Pvt Ltd is being investigated by the CBI for misusing student visas to allegedly push Indians into Russia’s war against Ukraine.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the company used multiple promotional video on their Youtube channel to lure students.

In one the videos posted on their Youtube channel, a sales executive of OSD Bros Travels is heard saying, “Jo cheez chhe (6) hazaar ki thi aaj woh 10,000 mein mil rahi hai (What was available for Rs 6,000 is now costing Rs 10,000)”, while another executive was heard saying: "Never shop at the mall, but go to the sabzi mandi (wholesale market) for sasta (cheap) and fresh maal (stuff)." The person refers to Russia as "sabzi mandi". There were also several sexual innuendo in the videos.

Below is a video posted by OSD Bros where a person claims to get Indians visa to reach Russia:

Th IE report further said that OSD Bros Travels & Visa Services have an authorised paid up capital of Rs 50,000 and the firm was incorporated in October 2016. The report also names two— Rakesh Pandey and Deepak Pandey as the firm's directors.

The CBI earlier this month launched a swift investigation against such "fake visa issuing firms", across 10 Indian cities, including Mumbai where the sleuths visited the office of OSD Bros Travels in Malad and found it to be locked.

A video was posted by OSD Bros Travels on February 24, 2024, wherein one of the directors who usually appears on the videos, said, "This would be the last day in this office, as we will be shifting to another one." In the video, he also seen introducing a few persons who are in the office and work for the company.

An FIR filed by CBI in the matter pertaining to Indians being duped into getting fake visa in the name of getting jobs in Russia read, "It has been learnt that on reaching Russia, passports of these Indian nationals were taken/snatched by agents. They were being trained in combat roles and provided with Russian army uniform and batches. Later, these Indian nationals are/were being deployed at front bases in the Russia-Ukraine war zone against their wishes and put their lives in grave danger.”

MEA’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was also quoted in the IE report dated March 9, 2024 as saying, “Strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited them on false pretexts and promises. The CBI yesterday busted a major human trafficking network, conducting searches in several cities and collecting incriminating evidence. A case of human trafficking has been registered against several agents.”

In February, DH quoted Jaiswal in its report as saying “Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry (MEA headquarters in New Delhi) have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi," He had added, “Several Indians have already been discharged as a result.”

OSD Bros Travels & Visa Services Private Limited is the oldest of the four firms named in the CBI's FIR.