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India has successfully rescued and brought back 549 of its citizens who were trapped in cybercrime centers along the Myanmar-Thailand border. These individuals, who had been lured with false job offers, were repatriated on two flights operated by military aircraft, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday.
Victims Lured with Fake Job Offers
The rescued individuals hailed from various states across India, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. Many had been tricked into traveling to Thailand or Myanmar with promises of high-paying jobs in the IT sector. However, upon arrival, they were trafficked to cyber crime centers, mostly controlled by Chinese criminal gangs operating in lawless regions of Myanmar.
Crackdown Leads to Rescue Efforts
A recent crackdown on these illegal cybercrime centers led to the release of not only Indian nationals but also citizens from other South and Southeast Asian countries. The freed Indians were taken from Myanmar’s Myawaddy region to Mae Sot in Thailand, where they were kept in detention centers before being flown back to India on Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 heavy-lift aircraft on Monday and Tuesday.
“The government of India arranged for the safe repatriation of 266 Indians [on Tuesday] by an IAF aircraft, who were released from cybercrime centers in South East Asia. On Monday, 283 Indians were similarly repatriated,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post.
Diplomatic Efforts for Repatriation
The Indian embassies in Myanmar and Thailand worked closely with the governments of both countries to facilitate the safe release and repatriation of the affected citizens. The MEA had been actively working on securing the release of Indians who were lured to Southeast Asian countries through fake job opportunities.
“These persons were subsequently made to indulge in cybercrime and engage in other fraudulent activities in scam centers operating in regions along the Myanmar-Thailand border,” the ministry stated.
The government has repeatedly warned citizens to be cautious of fraudulent overseas job offers and advised verifying employers through Indian embassies. It has also urged individuals to check the legitimacy of recruitment agents and companies before accepting job offers in this region.
Previous Rescue Operations in Southeast Asia
This is not the first instance of Indian nationals falling victim to such scams. In January, the Indian embassy in Laos successfully rescued 67 Indian men who had been tricked and forced to work in cyber scam centers operating in a special economic zone. With this operation, the total number of Indians rescued from such cyber scam networks in Laos alone reached 924.
Over the past three years, criminal organizations have lured hundreds of Indian nationals to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand under the pretense of legitimate employment.
The Rise of ‘Pig Butchering’ Scams
Many of these cyber crime operations are linked to Chinese criminal syndicates running what is known as the “pig butchering” scam. In this scheme, online fraudsters gain the trust of victims and convince them to invest in fake platforms, only to steal their money. The term “pig butchering” comes from the practice of fattening a pig before slaughtering it, reflecting how scammers first build a relationship with victims before defrauding them.
Government’s Warning and Advice
The Indian government has reiterated its warning about these fraudulent job offers and cybercrime networks, urging citizens to be vigilant.
To prevent more people from becoming victims, authorities advise job seekers to:
- Verify job offers through Indian embassies.
- Check the credentials of foreign employers and recruitment agencies.
- Be cautious of job opportunities that promise exceptionally high salaries.
- Avoid accepting job offers that require travel to remote or conflict-prone areas without proper verification.
With increasing awareness and stringent measures, India aims to curb human trafficking linked to cybercrime operations and ensure the safety of its citizens abroad.
