Over 100 Gujarati youths trapped in Myanmar, forced to involve in cybercrimes

AHMEDABAD: What began as a dream of well-paying foreign jobs has turned into a horrifying ordeal for more than 100 youths from Gujarat, who are now trapped in Myanmar after falling victim to an international cyber-scam racket.Lured by fake data-entry job offers promising easy work and attractive salaries, these young men—many from Vadodara district’s Savli and Desar talukas—were sent abroad by agents posing as legitimate recruiters. However, soon after reaching Myanmar, the reality turned nightmarish. Instead of employment, they allegedly faced confinement, coercion, and were forced to participate in illegal cybercrime operations.According to the youths, they were made to work for 14 to 18 hours a day under threats and intimidation. Any attempt to resist reportedly invited severe consequences. Their plight came to light after a video appeal surfaced on social media, showing exhausted and frightened youths pleading with the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs to rescue them.For nearly 20 days, the victims claim they have been hiding in “hell-like conditions” at a safe house operated by a local NGO in Myanmar’s Maya Wadi area. With almost no money, dying phone batteries, and limited access to help, hope is fast fading.One of the trapped youths, Kunjan Shah from Sandhasal village, shared his ordeal through a viral audio message. “We were brought here in the name of jobs,” he said, his voice trembling. “But we were forced into illegal work for 14 to 18 hours daily. We escaped when we got a chance. Now we have no money, no phone balance, and no support.”Fear escalated further after news emerged that the Ahmedabad Crime Branch had recently busted a Myanmar-based cybercrime racket. Realising they were likely entangled in the same criminal network, the youths fled the company, choosing uncertainty over captivity.



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