Iraq jobs: Govt to blacklist agencies

The Government action followed reports that these private agencies had sent ex-armymen to Iraq despite a prevailing ban. This was also in violation of the Emigration Act.

Officials said show-cause notices were sent to all three placement agencies last week.

Poonia further said that the Delhi-based Gemini Veteran Placements had later clarified that it had not sent any ex-serviceman to Iraq, while the two Mumbai-based firms — Trig Guardforce and IBI Detectives — had failed to reply. However, the CEO of IBI Detectives, Agnelo Menezes, told The Indian Express today: ‘‘I have never sent any ex-servicemen to Iraq, and only 800 of my men are employed within India. So the government cannot send me any notice, nor have I received one so far.’’ Menezes added that a few months back he did get ‘‘feelers from certain quarters’’ that there was a demand for Indian ex-servicemen in Iraq, but he had refused to comply.

On the other hand, the chairman and managing director of Trig Guardforce, Capt Swaran Salaria, said: ‘‘I have not received any showcause notice from Delhi; and I have strictly followed the rules and the proper procedure while sending ex-servicemen to Iraq in the recent past.’’

Salaria added: ‘‘I am not sending any more ex-soldiers to Iraq, and in fact am recalling back all the people I had earlier sent to that country. But I repeat, that I never broke any laws while doing so.’’ Poonia said information received from the Indian mission in Kuwait had revealed that there were over 1,900 former Indian soldiers in Iraq.