Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rescued 283 Indian nationals from Myanmar, including a Goan youth who was allegedly captured under false pretenses of offering a job in Thailand and then subjected to exploitative working conditions in Myanmar.
Police say the victim, a young Goan engineering graduate looking for work abroad, saw an Instagram job posting for a call center position in Thailand in January 2025.
Attractive terms including free housing, food, and a monthly salary of Rs 60,000 were included in the employment offer. The entire hiring process took place online, with the candidate corresponding with the agent using WhatsApp instead of in person. His journey to Bangkok was one of the travel arrangements made possible by the agent.
On January 14, 2025, the young person arrived in Thailand on a vacation visa and was originally housed at a resort in Mae Sot. But the next day, he was secretly taken by river across the border into Myanmar. According to police, he was imprisoned in a tightly guarded, secluded compound in Myanmar without any way of moving around on his own.
After that, he was forced to work 14-hour shifts every day without any weekly breaks, exposing him to exploitative working circumstances. He was put on a team with a foreigner serving as the manager. His job was to use false pretexts to send mass mails to hundreds of potential victims, mostly US residents.
According to investigators, top operatives who participated in further dishonest activities, such as investment fraud and honey trapping, were notified of any responses they received.
“It is once again reiterated that foreign-based jobs should only be applied for through MEA registered agents,” stated Cyber Crime SP Rahul Gupta. The likelihood of deception is greater in every other situation. People need to be on the lookout for suspicious agents and report them to the local police station or cyber police station. Reports can be made by citizens using the Cybercrime.gov.in website or the 1930 helpline.
It should be mentioned that Goa NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar told the local media last month that attempts were on to rescue eight Goans who had become stranded in Thailand after being seduced by the prospect of rich jobs.
