The Mumbai police have arrested two persons after it emerged that over 25 Indians were lured with "high-paying" jobs in Thailand but taken to Laos, where they were forced to commit cyber fraud, an official said on Tuesday.
The arrest of agents Jerry Jacob (46), whom police described as the kingpin of the racket, and his associate Godfrey Alvares (39) came on the complaint of one Siddharth Yadav (23). The case, registered on March 23, also names another agent named Sunny.
Thane resident Mr Yadav and three others, who too were victims of the job syndicate, had managed to return from Laos with the help of the Indian embassy in the Southeast Asian country.
Mr Yadav told the police he flew to Thailand in December 2022 hoping to earn good money but was taken to a place in Laos, near the Thailand border.
Accused Jacob, Alvares and Sunny allegedly made Mr Yadav and about two dozen Indians work in call centres that scammed people in Europe, the US and Canada through fake social media accounts, the official said.
The call centres imposed hefty fines on employees citing flimsy reasons, Mr Yadav said in his complaint.
The complainant said he and three others were thrashed by the accused when they approached the Indian embassy in Laos for their return.
After the intervention by the Indian embassy, the local police rescued the youngsters, including Mr Yadav, the official said.
The police have pressed charges against the accused for criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement, trafficking and cheating under the Indian Penal Code, and Immigration Act.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Video: Man Sits On Firecracker In Bet For New Vehicle. Explosion Kills Him Video: Air Force's MiG-29 Stalls In Flat Spin Seconds Before It Crashed "Cowardly Attempts To Intimidate Diplomats": PM's 1st Comments On Canada Row Assam Police Rescue 19 Dogs, Arrest 4 In Crackdown On Illegal Smuggling Army "Successfully" Completes Patrolling To Key Point In Ladakh's Depsang Kamala Harris' Ancestral Village In India Prays For Her Election Win Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.