47 Indians Rescued from Cyber Scam Centres in Laos

At least 47 Indians trapped in 'cyber scam' centres in Laos have been rescued from the country's Bokeo province, the Indian Embassy in the Southeast Asian country informed about this on Saturday. Indian authorities are alerting citizens about fake job offers in Laos and urging them to take every precaution to avoid fraud.

The Indian mission has so far rescued 635 Indians from Laos and ensured their safe return to India.

The Indian Embassy statement shared on the social media platform 'X' said, "Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by the Lao authorities after action on illegal activities in the Golden Triangle SEZ, while the other 18 contacted the Embassy about being in distress. "

It said that embassy officials went to Bokeo from the capital Vientiane to contact the local authorities.

The statement said that India's Ambassador to Laos Prashant Agarwal met the group on their arrival and discussed the challenges faced by them and advised on the upcoming measures.

The statement said that Agarwal stressed that 'ensuring the safety and well-being' of Indians is the top priority of the embassy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the issue of smuggling of Indian citizens with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit to the Southeast Asian country last month.

Indians are lured with jobs in Laos, where fraudsters confiscate their passports, making it impossible for them to leave. They are then forced to pose as women with fake social media profiles and fake photographs, given daily targets and tortured if they do not meet them.