Workers From India Were Defrauded In Belarus

• 16.07.2026, 8:12

Twenty people arrived at a nonexistent factory.

A native of Turkmenistan organized the arrival in Gomel of 20 undocumented migrants from India—they were supposed to work at a garment factory that did not actually exist. Details were provided to the publication “Belka” were provided by the city prosecutor’s office.

The organizer of the illegal migration turned out to be the director of an LLC operating in the taxi industry. He himself had come to Belarus from Turkmenistan.

To be able to apply for work visas, the man added a new line of business—garment manufacturing—to the company’s articles of incorporation. However, this existed only on paper: the entrepreneur had neither premises nor equipment.

After the paperwork was completed, the Indian citizens flew to Minsk, where they were met by the defendant’s brother and one of the taxi drivers who worked for him.

In Gomel, the director of the LLC personally arranged for the newcomers to be housed in rented apartments. However, problems with registration soon arose: after several administrative citations, the police took an interest in the migrants and their employer.

The investigation established that the defendant had an accomplice from Poland who transferred money to him for organizing the scheme. In total, he received more than 28,000 rubles from her.

The man will be tried under Part 2 of Article 371-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus—for organizing illegal migration committed by a group of individuals acting in concert. He faces imprisonment for a term of three to seven years, according to Maria Pushkar, assistant prosecutor for special assignments in the city of Gomel.