Weeks of anxiety have finally ended as 27 Indian youths who were trafficked to remote areas of Myanmar were rescued and brought back to India. They arrived in Delhi on Saturday. The rescue was carried out through diplomatic efforts by the Indian government, with special intervention from the Ministry of External Affairs.
According to sources, the youths, all from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, were lured with promises of well-paying jobs abroad. Trafficking agents allegedly took them to Thailand on the pretext of employment. After they reached there, their passports were seized, and they were forcibly moved to areas near the Myanmar border. They were held captive and forced to take part in cyber fraud activities. Reports suggest they were threatened with physical harm if they refused to comply.
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Rescue through diplomatic intervention
After the matter came to light, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu wrote an urgent letter to External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar. Following this, the Indian Embassy in Yangon took up the issue with the Myanmar government. Despite the difficult situation in Myanmar, sustained pressure from Indian authorities helped secure the release of the youths.
Family members said that over the past few weeks, contact with the victims was limited to very short phone calls, leaving them deeply worried about their safety and whereabouts.
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Warning against fake overseas job offers
In the wake of the incident, the Indian government has once again issued a strong warning against falling for overseas job offers made through illegal or unverified agents. Authorities have urged people to use only authorised recruitment channels.
Meanwhile, police have launched investigations to trace the wider international human trafficking network involved in the case and to bring those responsible to justice.
