25 Kannadigas among 125 Indians rescued from Myanmar scam centres

BENGALURU: What began as a promise of high-paying jobs ended in months of fear and captivity for 125 Indians, including 25 from Karnataka, who were rescued from Myanmar’s notorious scam centres and brought back to Delhi in two batches on Wednesday night from Mae Sot, Thailand.

They were lured abroad with promises of high-paying jobs but instead found themselves held captive, threatened at gunpoint, and forced to engage in online fraud operations.

After landing in New Delhi, the returnees were questioned by immigration and central agencies before being handed over to their respective state representatives on Thursday morning.

Karnataka officials received the 25 youths and shifted them to Karnataka Bhavan, where arrangements were made for food, temporary stay, and onward travel. The state government sanctioned Rajdhani train tickets for their return to Bengaluru, while around 13 chose to fly home at their own expense.

As part of the Government of India’s ongoing efforts to safely bring back Indians stuck in trafficking and scam centres in Southeast Asia, the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate in Chiang Mai worked closely with various agencies of the Thai government and the authorities of Thailand’s Tak Province.

Several of the youths said they were contacted through social media with attractive job offers, flown to Bangkok by the recruiters themselves and transported by road across the border to Myanmar. “If we asked questions, they pointed guns at us. We were forced to cheat people online. If we refused, they harassed us,” said one of the Kannadiga returnees, requesting anonymity.