Nine Zimbabwean men were allegedly lured to Russia with promises of well-paying jobs, only to have their travel documents confiscated and be forced into mercenary work after arriving in the country, prosecutors have told the court.

The State alleges that the recruitment scheme operated between late 2025 and mid-2026, using fake employment offers and travel arrangements to recruit the victims.

Tawana Nyamhute, 20, of Waterfalls, appeared before the Harare Magistrates Court charged with contravening the Trafficking in Persons Act.

According to the State, between November 2025 and July 2026, Nyamhute acted in concert with a Russian national, Alexander Lednev, who remains at large, to unlawfully recruit, assist and transfer nine Zimbabwean men to Russia for labour exploitation.

The identities of the alleged victims are being withheld.

Prosecutors allege that Nyamhute used deception to persuade the men to travel to Russia. Two of the victims were reportedly promised lucrative jobs as drivers with attractive salaries and good working conditions, while two others were allegedly told they would work as ancillary staff for the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The court heard that Nyamhute allegedly used his Samsung S20+ cellphone to receive visas, airline tickets and hotel reservations from Lednev before distributing the travel documents to the victims.

He is also accused of receiving money from Lednev through an EcoCash agent and forwarding the funds to the men to cover their transport costs to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

The men subsequently travelled to Russia.

According to prosecutors, they were met on arrival by associates of the accused, who allegedly confiscated their travel documents.

Instead of the jobs they had been promised, the State alleges the men were forced to join a private military organisation. They were allegedly subjected to labour exploitation, denied freedom of movement and compelled to undergo a seven-day firearms familiarisation course before being deployed as mercenaries to the Ukraine war zone.

The alleged scheme came to light after some of the victims contacted Zimbabwean police by telephone, while others alerted relatives back home, who in turn reported the matter to the authorities.

The court heard that efforts to repatriate the men are being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade together with the Department of Social Welfare. The alleged victims remain in Russia.

Following Nyamhute's arrest, investigators allegedly discovered that he had recruited five more Zimbabweans.

The State alleges that on June 20, 2026, Nyamhute escorted the five men to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in an attempt to facilitate their travel to Russia, but they were intercepted and denied departure.

Prosecutors further allege that he had previously taken the same group to Levy Mwanawasa International Airport in Zambia on April 24, 2026, to OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa on May 8, 2026, and to Mozambique on May 5, 2026, in separate attempts to facilitate their departure to Russia.

According to the State, immigration authorities in each country denied the group permission to travel after they failed to provide satisfactory reasons for their intended journey to Russia.

The five men are currently in Zimbabwe.

Nyamhute was remanded in custody, and the matter has been postponed to a later date.