Working to rescue Indians forced into cyber fraud abroad: MEA

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 1

The government has an arduous task ahead of it in rescuing thousands of Indians who are believed to be among the estimated two lakh people trapped in Myanmar and Cambodia and forced to commit online deception and fraud.

5,000 citizens could be in captivity

• There are estimated two lakh people trapped in Myanmar and Cambodia and forced to commit online fraud
• The largest proportion of such people are Chinese and reports have spoken of Beijing bringing back hundreds of its citizens from Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines
• Reports state that 5,000 Indians have been held captive in Myanmar but there is no confirmation of the figure by the government

The MEA has so far managed to trace and rescue 250 Indians from Cambodia and about 30 from Myanmar. The rescue operation in Cambodia with help from the local authorities began after the Indian embassy received several complaints from Indians being coerced into illegal work.

These people are forced to call up their compatriots in India and by doing this, they have earned their employers billions of dollars. The largest proportion of such people are Chinese and reports have spoken of Beijing bringing back hundreds of its citizens from Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.

A UN report last year had estimated that 1.20 lakh people are trapped in war-torn Myanmar and at least one lakh in Cambodia. All of them are said to be techies who were promised regular, well-paying jobs in the IT sector. But they are among the lakhs who have been forced to into committing crypto fraud and love scams.

“We have seen media reports on Indian nationals stuck in Cambodia. Our embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from Indian nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work. Collaborating closely with Cambodian authorities, it has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians, of which 75 in just the last three months,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said.

Reports state that 5,000 young Indians are trapped in Myanmar but there is no confirmation of the figure by the government. However, officials believe at least a 100 were lured to Myanmar and taken to remote places. The government has so far brought back 30 of them.

They were promised jobs but forced to undertake illegal cyber work, said Jaiswal.

Similar rackets are understood to be operating in Malaysia and the Philippines. Reports of people being rescued from these two countries have not mentioned Indians being in the mix.

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