Vientiane: The Indian Embassy in Laos said that 13 Indians, who were lured into illegal work in Laos, have been rescued and are being sent back home. The development comes after 17 Indian workers were
Vientiane: The Indian Embassy in Laos said that 13 Indians, who were lured into illegal work in Laos, have been rescued and are being sent back home. The development comes after 17 Indian workers were rescued in Laos last month and were sent back home by the embassy.
“In our continued work to ensure safety & well-being of Indians as matter of top priority, Embassy successfully rescues & repatriates 13 Indians, incl. 7 Odiya workers from a wood factory in Attapeu province & 6 Indian youth from Golden Triangle SEZ, Bokeo province of Laos,” the Indian embassy said on ‘X’.
In our continued work to ensure safety & well-being of Indians as matter of top priority, Embassy successfully rescues & repatriates 13 Indians, incl. 7 Odiya workers from a wood factory in Attapeu province, & 6 Indian youth frm Golden Triangle SEZ,Bokeo province of Laos (Contd.) pic.twitter.com/CGSvBVX7NB
— India in Laos (@IndianEmbLaos) May 26, 2024
“So far, Embassy has rescued 428 Indians from Lao PDR. We thank Lao authorities for their cooperation,” it said.
In the wake of these developments, the Indian Embassy also urged to Indian nationals looking for jobs in Laos to be very careful so that they are not lured into fake or illegal employment.
“For Indian workers coming to Laos/Lao PDR, do NOT put your safety at risk by getting duped into fake or illegal job offers for cyber scams etc,” it said.
On May 7, the embassy came out with an advisory cautioning Indians against fake job offers.
“Instances have come to our notice recently wherein Indian nationals are being lured for employment through Thailand,” it said.
“These fake jobs are for posts such as of ‘Digital Sales and Marketing Executives’ or ‘Customer Support Service’ by dubious companies involved in call-centre scams and crypto-currency fraud in Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos,” the embassy said in the advisory.
It said agents in places such as Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and India associated with these firms are recruiting Indians by taking simple interviews and tests.
“Victims are illegally taken across the border into Laos from Thailand and held captive to work in Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos under harsh and restrictive conditions,” it said.
“At times, they are taken hostages by criminal syndicates indulging in illegal activities and forced to work in strenuous conditions under constant physical and mental torture,” the advisory said.
(With Inputs from PTI)
