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 menmany from Vadodara districts Savli and Desar talukaswere 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 Myanmars 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. Despite reports that Myanmar authorities have cleared their immigration status, the youths allege that no concrete assistance from Indian officials has reached them yet. Back in Gujarat, families are shattered. Kunjans parents, Jayeshbhai and Hansabhen, broke down while speaking to the media. They revealed that their son had travelled to Thailand and later Myanmar four months ago in search of a better future. We dont want money or compensation, they said tearfully. We just want our son and all the other children to come home safely. As anxiety spreads among families, political pressure is building. On December 26, Savli MLA Ketan Inamdar wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, urging immediate intervention. He also reached out to Vadodara MP Dr. Hemang Joshi for support. In his letter, the MLA stated that Kunjan Shah and around 10 youths from Desar taluka, along with nearly 100 Indians, are currently stranded in Myanmar after being cheated under false job schemes. This is not an isolated incident, Inamdar said. More than 100 Indian youths are suffering. Ten are from Vadodara district, and one is from my own village.
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