Three young men from Gujarat had a terrifying experience in the dense forests of Myanmar when they found themselves embroiled in an international cybercrime syndicate’s training camp. The incident shed light on the operations of these syndicates, which recruit Indian job seekers under false pretenses to carry out fraudulent activities.
The three friends, hailing from villages near Dhoraji in Rajkot district, were initially enticed by promises of well-paying jobs in Bangkok. However, upon reaching their destination, they discovered that they were being coerced into undergoing training for cybercrime activities in a remote area near the Thailand-Myanmar border. Realizing the gravity of their situation, the trio managed to escape from the camp and spent several harrowing hours lost in the forest before being rescued by a compassionate Thai military officer.
After their rescue, the young men hesitated to report the incident to the authorities, but eventually mustered the courage to file a complaint at the Dhoraji police station. Their decision to come forward was prompted by the appearance of the agent who had deceived them, Rizwan, in their town.
The unwitting victims recounted how they had been duped into the scam. It all began when one of them, Adnan Nagni, learned about a job opportunity in Bangkok through a family connection. Excited by the prospect, he shared the news with his friends Abdul Qadir and Siddique Sayeed, who then contacted the recruiter, Rizwan. The agent demanded a substantial sum of money, between Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000, for securing job placements. The friends complied and transferred a total of Rs 1.90 lakh to Rizwan, who then facilitated an online interview to evaluate their skills.
Subsequently, the trio was flown to Bangkok and transported to a secluded location near the Thai-Myanmar border, where they were lodged in a remote hotel. From there, they were taken by boat into the dense forests of Myanmar, where their nightmare began. Trapped in a cyberfraud training camp, the friends were compelled to engage in illicit online practices against their will. Their passports, phones, and money were confiscated, and they were abandoned in the wilderness after resisting the training.
Lost and disoriented in the forest, the young men wandered aimlessly in search of help. Their plight caught the attention of a Thai military officer, who, despite the language barrier, understood their predicament and offered assistance. With the help of Google Translate, the officer communicated with the youths and guided them to safety. Eventually, they were reunited with their families in Pattaya with the support of Thai immigration officials and the Indian Embassy.
Their ordeal came to an end when they were issued fresh passports and allowed to return to India on January 8. The harrowing experience served as a cautionary tale about the dangers posed by international cybercrime syndicates and the importance of vigilance while seeking employment opportunities abroad. The courage and resilience displayed by these young men in the face of adversity underscored the need for greater awareness and stringent measures to combat such illicit activities in the future.