Indian techies illegally trafficked to Myawaddy by cyber criminals
Some 300 software engineers from India have been illegally trafficked to Myanmar after answering the call for lucrative jobs in Thailand.
On arrival in Thailand, they were trafficked to Myawaddy in south-eastern Myanmar where they were forced into cybercrime activities.
On Saturday some of the techies held hostage managed to contact relatives in India saying they were being held by Malaysian Chinese gangsters.
The captives made known that they are forced into shifts lasting more than 15 hours a day. If they refuse to work they are beaten and given an electric shock.
One man from Tamil Nadu, who went by the name of Atul said he was shocked by the work he was asked to do.
He said…
“I was asked to lure customers through social media by asking them to book hotels online or make other investments. Then I came to know we were into online fraud.”
Atul made known that some of his colleagues managed to escape to Thailand but couldn’t return to India due to legal hurdles. Most of the victims are well educated and want to leave after they discover they are committing fraudulent crimes but the only way they can leave is by paying their way out.
“If you don’t pay the sum promised, you get tortured.
“We were asked to meet a certain target. How could we cheat people and make money? When the target isn’t met, our salary gets cut. They also have other rules, due to which we hardly get the pay we were promised.
“When the techies protest, they are warned that they could even ‘disappear.’”
A fisherman from Karaikalmedu appealed to the district collector of Karaikal in the Indian Union Territory of Puducherry to rescue his son who is among the Indian captives in Myanmar. Raja Subramanian revealed his son was working as a data entry operator in Dubai. The 60 year old added that his boss gave his son a promotion but said he would have to move to the company’s Thailand office.
He said…
“From Thailand, he and several others were taken illegally by road to Myanmar. My brother said a few days ago his employers thrashed his colleague for refusing to do the illegal work. He sustained severe injuries on the head that required five stitches. His ears were torn.”
An Indian government official revealed that about 30 Indians had been rescued at the moment adding the government is trying to get the captives back.
“We are in touch with the Indian embassy officials in Myanmar and Bangkok. The Tamils stranded in the two countries could be either deported or the Indian mission will fly them off.
“In case the mission could not afford to bring back the Tamils, then the state would chip in and bring them back soon.”
Leaders in various political parties urged the state and central governments to do more to bring back the stranded Indians.
SOURCE: Times of India New India Express
