India Rescues 47 Nationals Trapped In Cyber Scam Centres In Laos

In a significant rescue operation, 47 Indians held captive in Laos and coerced into conducting cyber scams targeting fellow citizens back home have been freed.

The Ministry of External Affairs has been warning the Indian nationals to be wary of job offers from Laos and Cambodia, many of which are fraudulent and intended to trap victims as cyber slaves.

To date, the Indian embassy in Laos has facilitated the rescue and safe return of 635 Indians from Laos.

In the latest case, the embassy successfully rescued 47 Indians who were trapped in cyber-scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo Province of Lao, a statement from the Indian Embassy said.

"Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Lao authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help," the statement said.

Prashant Agrawal, Ambassador of India to Lao PDR, met the group upon arrival to discuss the challenges they faced, and to advise further course of action.

The Embassy said it has undertaken and completed all procedural requirements of Lao authorities for their repatriation to India.

"Of these, 30 have already safely returned to India or are on their way, while the remaining 17 are only awaiting travel arrangements to be firmed up and would be leaving Lao PDR soon," it added.

Ambassador Agrawal emphasised that "ensuring safety and well-being of Indians is a matter of top priority for the Embassy. Any request for help received from those in distress is taken up urgently and promptly and all due assitance extended".

Earlier last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had discussed the issue of trafficking of Indian nationals with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Indians are enticed to travel to Laos with job offers, only to have their passports seized upon arrival, preventing them from leaving.

They are then forced to operate fake social media profiles, posing as women, and are given daily targets to meet. Failure to do so results in severe punishment, trapping them in a cycle of exploitation far from the better life they were promised.

The scammers would impersonate women on dating apps to engage with potential victims.

"After some time, they would convince the target to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Many were duped in India this way," one rescued Indian said, NDTV reported.

The "cyber slaves" go without food and rest if they failed to meet their daily targets.

In its statement, the Indian embassy strongly advised any Indian planning to take up any job offer in Lao to exercise utmost care and caution, and do the due diligence thoroughly to avoid being duped.

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