Cambodia cyber slavery case: 250 Indians rescued, thousands still trapped
What's the story
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has rescued and repatriated approximately 250 Indian citizens who were victims of a cyber employment scam in Cambodia.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that 75 of these individuals were rescued within the past three months.
The Indian Embassy in Cambodia has been actively addressing grievances from those who were deceived with job prospects but ended up being coerced into illegal cyber activities.
Ongoing crisis
Thousands of Indians still trapped in Cambodian cyber scam
It is estimated that over 5,000 Indians are currently captured in Cambodia, forced to participate in cyber scams targeting people back home.
The government approximates that these fraudsters have swindled at least Rs. 500 crore from unsuspecting victims in India over the past six months.
These victims were allegedly held captive and coerced into scamming their fellow countrymen, sometimes by impersonating law enforcement officials.
Joint efforts
Indian Embassy collaborates with Cambodian authorities
The Indian Embassy in Cambodia is working closely with Cambodian authorities to rescue and repatriate the victims.
The MEA has issued several advisories warning Indian citizens about such deceptive schemes.
"We remain committed to assisting all those Indian nationals in Cambodia who seek our support. We are also collaborating with Cambodian authorities and agencies in India to bring down those behind these fraudulent schemes," stated Jaiswal.
Crisis response
Ministries convene to formulate rescue plan
In response to this crisis, the Ministry of Home Affairs recently convened a meeting with representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, and security experts.
The objective is to free the ensnared Indians and thwart fraudulent schemes.
This multi-ministerial collaboration aims at devising an effective strategy to combat these cyber scams and rescue trapped citizens.
Victim support
Embassy receives daily complaints, urges FIR filing
Second Secretary (Consular and Diaspora) Avaran Abraham disclosed that they receive four to five complaints almost daily from various regions of Cambodia.
Upon receiving a request for help, they alert the police, guide victims on how to reach the embassy, and offer counseling for those traumatized.
Abraham emphasized the importance of filing FIRs upon repatriation to India, as it is vital for the Indian police to act against the agents or companies implicated in these scams.