News18 spoke to two of the youths, Irshad and Faraz, who revealed startling details about the nefarious agenda of these scammers with the involvement of Chinese and Pakistani operatives
Eleven youths from Jammu and Kashmir were rescued from a cyber fraud hub in Myawaddy, Myanmar, after falling victim to a job scam. The group, originally promised employment in Thailand, was trafficked to Myanmar via Thailand’s Mae Sot. According to sources, the incident reveals a larger network involving Pakistani and Chinese operatives that aims to dent the Indian economy.
CNN-News18 spoke to two of the youths, Irshad and Faraz, who revealed startling details about the nefarious agenda of these scammers.
“We were offered a job in Thailand. The moment we reached there, we were put in the Myanmar army’s custody. They said that money was paid to their agents and that we would be released if the money is returned. They asked for Rs 10 lakh. When we refused, they started hitting us,” said Irshad.
The Jammu and Kashmir police, in collaboration with Interpol and CBI, have successfully repatriated 280 individuals from across India who were trapped in similar scams. The rescued youths from Jammu and Kashmir, including one woman, revealed the modus operandi of the network during interrogation. They recounted being lured under false pretenses of employment and trafficked to Myanmar.
“Like Irshad said, we wanted to leave. I called up my agent to rescue us from the trap. My agent blocked my number. They asked us to pay Rs 10 lakh. They cited expenses on us and payment to agents. We would be released if we paid up,” said Faraz. “I was connected to this via Facebook and Telegram. They promise high salaries. We get to know the truth on reaching there.”
Irshad said they realised this was a conspiracy after they were put in the custody of the Myanmar army. “We thought we would be killed. They asked us to trap Indians in the US and Canada. To lay a ‘love trap’ for them. We urge everyone not to fall into this trap,” he said.