Human trafficking: India rescues 60 Indians from Chinese job scam in Cambodia
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The Indian Embassy in Cambodia on Wednesday announced it has rescued 60 Indians who fell victim to fraudulent employment practices run by handlers in the former China-supported communist nation in Southeast Asia.
The rescued persons were shifted from Sihanoukville, Cambodia, to its capital Phnom Penh with assistance from the Embassy for travel documents and other arrangements to facilitate their return home.
These Indians were rescued by Indian officials from Jinbei-4 on May 20, in coordination with local authorities in Sihanoukville.
This development came a day after the Andhra Pradesh police reported that around 300 Indians staged a “revolt” against their Chinese handlers in Cambodia on May 20, resulting in many arrests. Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner A Ravi Shankar noted that these trafficked Indians caused large-scale riots in Jinbei and Compound, Sihanoukville, which is allegedly a hub for cybercrime.
“The Embassy is in constant touch with the Cambodian authorities, and necessary assistance and guidance are being provided to these Indian nationals on their way back to India,” the Indian embassy in Cambodia said in an official statement.
According to reports, around 150 individuals from Visakhapatnam and nearby areas remained stranded in Cambodia for more than a year. The police said these trafficked Indians were allegedly coerced by Chinese handlers into committing cybercrime and Ponzi schemes.
“Many people called up Visakhapatnam city police WhatsApp numbers and sent videos. Yesterday (Monday), around 300 Indians ‘revolted’ on a large scale against their handlers in Cambodia,” Shankar said.
Earlier this week, the Visakhapatnam police arrested three persons linked with the alleged human trafficking. They were identified as Chukka Rajesh, S Kondala Rao, and M Jnaneshwar Rao.
They were accused of luring youths from India with promises of data entry jobs in Singapore but trafficked them to Cambodia for illegal activities.
The embassy also announced helpline numbers for the stranded Indians and reiterated its advice of caution for Indians seeking jobs in Cambodia.
