25 youths go to Thailand for ‘high-paying’ jobs, forced to commit cyber fraud from Laos; two held

Mumbai, Mar 26 (PTI) 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 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.

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 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, 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 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. PTI DC NR