TG Youths Facing Cybercrime Cases in Dubai For Travel Agents Cheating

NIZAMABAD: Telangana youths are facing problems in Abu Dhabi for cheating of travel agencies. Instead of work visas, few agents sent the migrant youths on visit visas to the Gulf countries. As a result, the innocent youths are stuck in cybercrime cases in Gulf countries. For years, the victims landed in jails in Dubai.

For instance, a youth Anil from Chirlavanch village in Vemulawada mandal, of Rajanna Sircilla district, has been suffering immensely after being trapped in a cybercrime case in Dubai.

In 2021, Anil went to Dubai for employment through a travel agency based in Jagtial. The agency promised him an employment visa but sent him, along with 15 others, on a visit visa instead. From Mumbai airport, they were transported to Abu Dhabi, where he joined a company and worked there for about three months.

Later, the company management converted his visa to an employee visa. One day, while visiting a shopping mall in Abu Dhabi, Anil purchased a UAE SIM card by providing his ID proof. Unfortunately, that SIM card became the reason for his suffering.

Upon investigation over the last 20 days (including a video call inquiry), it is found that Anil’s biometric details were misused — while one SIM was genuinely given to him, two additional SIM cards were issued under his name and allegedly handed over to others. Using those SIMs, two cybercrime cases were registered against Anil by Ajman police.

Police officers from Ajman came to the company, met with Anil’s employer, and summoned Anil for questioning the next day. He cooperated and visited the police station, where he was interrogated for four days and then handed over to the Ajman police station.

However, during the inquiry, Anil — who does not know Arabic, English, or Hindi. Three false cases were filed, and the travel agency that sent him was shut down. The innocent young man has been stuck abroad for four years now, unable to return to India.

Neither the police station nor the court has summoned him since. He only learned about the case when he tried to leave for India after cancelling his visa — immigration authorities informed him that he could not leave due to pending cases, and he now faces an overstay fine of 50 Dirhams per day.

For example, Orupula Komuraiah from Ramulapalli village in Pegadapalli mandal of Jagtial District, has been struggling for 18 years in a similar situation. Another person from Rechipelli village in Sarangapur mandal, mentally broke down after being falsely accused and even attempted suicide in Saudi Arabia, recording a video before slitting his throat and sending it to his wife.

TPCC NRI cell convener Sheik Chanda Pasha urged the state government and central government for safe return of Telangana migrant workers. ‘We brought the issue to the notice of external affairs minister Jaishankar for safety of migrant workers’, he said.