Collaborating closely with Cambodia, rescued 250 Indians: MEA on ‘cyber slavery’

In an official statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Saturday that the Indian embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country, but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work. “We have seen media reports on Indian nationals stuck in Cambodia. Our embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from Indian nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work. Collaborating closely with Cambodian authorities, it has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians, of which 75 have been rescued in the last three months,” Jaiswal said.

“Several advisories have also been issued by the Ministry and the Embassy of India in Cambodia to our nationals about such scams. We remain committed to helping all Indian nationals in Cambodia who seek our support. We are also working with the Cambodian authorities and with agencies in India to crack down on those responsible for these fraudulent schemes,” he said.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a meeting with officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and other security experts to draw up a strategy to rescue the Indians trapped in Cambodia.

“The agenda of their meeting was to discuss the organised racket and bring back those who are trapped there. Data shows that Rs 500 crore has been lost (to cyber fraud originating in Cambodia) in India in the last six months,” a source said, adding that investigation by Central agencies has so far revealed that agents are trapping people, mostly those from the southern part of the country, and sending them to Cambodia on the pretext of data entry jobs before forcing them to carry out cyber frauds.

Avaran Abraham, Second Secretary (Consular and Diaspora), told The Indian Express over phone that they are getting four to five complaints on an average almost regularly from different parts of Cambodia. “The moment we get a request we inform the police. We also guide them on how to travel to the embassy, and since they are in trauma we even counsel them.”

“The problem which should be highlighted is that when these people are being rescued and getting back to India, invariably, they are not filing an FIR with the police. It is only when FIRs are filed, the Indian police will be able to get to these agents/companies,” he said.

“We are in regular coordination with the MHA. Whenever we get details of any agents, we share those with them. When people file FIR, only then the police will come into the picture,” the senior official said.