Govt Working To Ensure Timely Repatriation Of 14 Indians Rescued From Cyber Crime Gangs In Cambodia

The Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh said it is in touch with Cambodian officials to ensure the timely repatriation of the 14 rescued Indian nationals who were scammed into working for cybercriminals in the country.

It said that it provided leads to the Cambodian government and police which led to the rescue of the victims. It said that it has been actively rescuing Indian nationals from fraudulent job offers in Cambodia and has rescued and repatriated over 650 Indian citizens who were scammed into committing cybercrime.

“The Embassy provided specific leads to the Cambodian Police, leading to the rescue of 14 additional Indian victims. These individuals are currently being cared for by an NGO working in coordination with Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation,” the Indian Embassy in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh said in a release.

“The Indian Embassy is in ongoing communication with Cambodian officials, urgently requesting the expedited completion of necessary formalities to ensure the safe and timely repatriation of the 14 rescued Indian nationals back to India,” it said.

“The Embassy has facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indian citizens who had fallen victim to these scams,” it further added.

The embassy asked Indians to ‘exercise extreme caution’ if they come across job offers in the country and told them to immediately report suspicious activities to the embassy.

“The Embassy continues to closely monitor the situation and remains committed to protecting the welfare of Indian citizens in Cambodia,” the press release said.

A report by broadcaster NDTV said that the 14 rescued individuals were from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Criminal gangs in Cambodia offer jobs with lucrative salary and perks to Indian individuals and in some cases lie about the job location, falsely telling the unsuspecting victims that they would be based out of Thailand or some other neighbouring country but not Cambodia.

Upon reaching Cambodia, their passports are seized and they are forced to work in conditions that are akin to ‘cyber slavery’ where they dupe other unsuspecting victims into giving up their life savings to cyber scammers.