Lucknow: A total of 38 young individuals from Uttar Pradesh, who were misled by fraudulent overseas job offers, have been successfully rescued from a cybercrime network. With the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 21 of them returned to Lucknow on Tuesday evening. These individuals hail from various districts, including Gonda, Ambedkar Nagar, Varanasi, Kushinagar, and Lucknow.
Upon arrival in Delhi, they were transported to Lucknow via a Sahibabad depot bus late at night. Once in the city, they underwent questioning at the Reserve Police Line by the Cyber Crime Cell and Local Intelligence Unit (LIU). Simultaneously, 17 others from Ghaziabad, who were also victims of the scheme, are currently being interrogated.
Massive Rescue Operation in Southeast Asia
The Indian government has successfully repatriated 540 citizens who were stranded in the “Golden Triangle” region, spanning Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. The rescue operation, carried out using Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft, took place on Monday and Tuesday. Among those rescued, 38 hailed from Uttar Pradesh, with 21 belonging to Lucknow and 17 to Meerut.
Upon their return, the group from Lucknow was taken to Charbagh before being escorted to the Reserve Police Line for further questioning. Interrogations continued late into the night as authorities sought to uncover more details about their ordeal.
Trafficked and Forced into Cybercrime
The victims were initially flown to Thailand’s Mae Sot Airport before being repatriated to India on a special Indian Air Force flight. The first phase of the operation, conducted on Monday night, successfully brought back 266 men and 17 women. Another 257 individuals were repatriated in the second phase on Tuesday.
The Uttar Pradesh administration had been in constant coordination with the MEA for months to ensure a smooth return for these individuals. Local district police will now oversee their reintegration and provide necessary support.
According to police reports, many of the rescued individuals, including graduates with BTech and MBA degrees, were lured with the promise of high-paying jobs in digital marketing and sales. Upon reaching their destinations, they discovered that the job offers were fraudulent. Instead, they were coerced into participating in cybercrime activities after being trafficked across borders illegally.
Influence of Media and Ongoing Investigations
Investigations have revealed that several victims were inspired to seek quick financial success abroad after watching the Bollywood film Dunki. Agents deceived them with promises of lucrative salaries, reportedly up to Rs 70,000 per month.
However, once they arrived, they were confined to a single facility and forced to work in a call center-like environment. Using pre-scripted conversations, they were compelled to defraud American citizens online. Despite their captivity, some managed to send money back home.
The MEA continues its efforts to dismantle fraudulent job networks operating across Southeast Asia, ensuring that more victims are safely brought back to India. Authorities have also intensified their investigations to crack down on those responsible for orchestrating these scams.
