New Delhi: At least 2,900 Indian citizens, including software engineers, have been rescued from cyber scam centers operating across southeast Asia, but the exact number still trapped remains unknown, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed a parliamentary panel.
In its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) this week, the MEA revealed that 2,907 Indians have been freed from criminal operations in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar where they were forced to conduct cybercrimes and other fraudulent activities after being lured by fraud job recruitment agencies.
“The exact number of Indian nationals stuck in these countries is not known as they reach these scam centers on their own volition through fraudulent recruitment agencies and illegal channels,” the ministry stated in its submission.
The government has raised the issue at the “political level” with host governments and notified 3,111 unregistered agents who exploit Indians through fake job offers, primarily via social media platforms, on its e-migrate portal.
According to MEA data shared with the panel, 1,091 citizens were brought back from Cambodia, 770 from Lao PDR, and 1,046 from Myanmar—including 549 rescued in two flights last month that were not included in the original report.
