NEW DELHI: The Indian Embassy in Laos on Saturday (Aug 31) informed that it has successfully rescued 47 Indians who were trapped in cyber-scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo Province, Laos.
“Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Laos authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help,” the Embassy said in a statement.
The Embassy officials travelled from capital Vientiane to Bokeo to actively liaise with local authorities for their rescue.
Transport from Bokeo to Vientiane was organised by the Embassy, as also accommodation and food arrangements for them upon arrival in Vientiane.
Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met the group upon arrival to discuss the challenges they faced, and to advise further course of action.
The Embassy has undertaken and completed all procedural requirements of Laos authorities for their repatriation to India.
Of these, 30 have already safely returned to India or are on their way, while the remaining 17 are only awaiting travel arrangements to be firmed up and would be leaving Laos soon.
Ambassador Agrawal emphasised that “ensuring safety and well-being of Indians is a matter of top priority for the Embassy.
Any request for help received from those in distress is taken up urgently and promptly and all due assistance extended.”
The Embassy has so far rescued 635 Indians and ensured their safe return to India.
“We thank Laos authorities for their help and cooperation.
"We have also urged action at their end against unscrupulous elements and the matter has been raised at the highest levels,” the statement further said.
“We strongly advise any Indian planning to take up any job offer in Laos to exercise utmost care and caution, and do the due diligence thoroughly to avoid being duped.
"They may carefully go through the detailed Advisory available at the Embassy’s website at https://www.indianembassylaos.gov.in/ or contact the Embassy in case of any doubt,” the statement added.
Earlier this month, the Embassy rescued 14 Indian nationals from similar cyber-scam centres in Laos.
In May, 13 Indians, including seven workers from Odisha, were also rescued and repatriated.
The Embassy has highlighted that many of these fake job offers involve positions such as “Digital Sales and Marketing Executives” or “Customer Support Service” roles, which are fronts for call-centre scams and cryptocurrency frauds.
These offers are often facilitated by agents based in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, and India, who recruit Indian nationals with promises of high salaries, hotel bookings, return air tickets, and visa facilitation. - The Statesman/ANN
