In a major operation, Indian intelligence agencies have managed to rescue thousands of youngsters who had been victimized by a cyber fraud syndicate based in Myanmar. Among them are more than a dozen young men from Kashmir, which is the latest instance of the increasing trend of trafficking with fake job postings.
The victims, mostly jobless youths from all over India, were tempted by promising job offers going around on social media. These fraudulent job offers, usually guaranteeing high-paying jobs overseas, are just a small part of a larger scam masterminded by scammers. Most victims have reported going through intense interview processes and tests before being forced to travel abroad. Some were given air tickets, while others were instructed to make their own arrangements.
Reports show that 13 Kashmiri youth, both men and women, got trapped in this deceptive network while on the lookout for job opportunities. They found these fake job offers mostly through social media platforms, especially Facebook. They were offered jobs in other countries like Thailand, but upon arrival, the situation was completely different; they were not offered jobs but rather got involved in illegal activities like scams against other citizens and even forced into online sexual exploitation.
Indian agencies’ timely intervention proved to be the clincher in saving these people. Tahir Ashraf, SSP Counter Intelligence Wing, said, “The prompt response saved 13 Kashmiri youth from a bad situation. They were recovered, counseled, and reunited with their families.”
Security agencies alert that many other young people are still stuck in Thailand and Myanmar. Families are frantically trying to salvage their relatives trapped in this trap of false promises. Faizan Rasool from Srinagar’s Safa Kadal area is one such case where he has gone missing after traveling for employment. His father, Ghulam Rasool, expressed his pain saying, “My son went first to New Delhi and then Bangkok. Once they reached Thailand, they were taken in a car for 15 hours to Myanmar.”. We lost touch after that. I just want my son back.
All rescued kids were counseled when they returned to Srinagar before being reunited with their families, offering a beacon of hope amidst an escalating crisis among vulnerable youth throughout the country.
