The task force has also urged the immigration department to enhance mechanisms to identify potential victims before they leave the country…reports Asian Lite News
In a startling revelation, official data shows that 29,466 Indians who travelled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam between January 2022 and May 2024 on visitor visas have not returned.
Notably, more than half (17,115) of these individuals are aged between 20 and 39, with males making up the majority (21,182). This information, compiled by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs, highlights that over one-third of those unaccounted for hail from Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. Thailand alone is responsible for over 69 percent of these cases, with 20,450 individuals reported missing.
The development comes against the backdrop of increasing reports of Indians being lured into Southeast Asia by the promise of high-paying jobs, only to be trapped in what has been described as ‘cyber slavery’. Victims are reportedly coerced into conducting cyber fraud and other illegal activities, often under the threat of violence.
In response, the Centre has established a high-level inter-ministerial task force to investigate and address the issue. This panel, formed in May, has directed all states and union territories (UTs) to conduct thorough ground-level verification and gather details on these missing individuals.
The task force has also urged the immigration department to enhance mechanisms to identify potential victims before they leave the country.
The data, which highlights the extent of the issue across India, shows that, besides Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, significant numbers of individuals are missing from Uttar Pradesh (2,946), Kerala (2,659), Delhi (2,140), Gujarat (2,068), and Haryana (1,928). Karnataka, Telangana, and Rajasthan have also reported hundreds of missing persons, with smaller numbers from states such as West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
Notably, the largest number of people who have not returned left via Delhi airport (12,493), followed by airports in Mumbai (4,699), Kolkata (2,395), and Kochi (2,296).
Concerns about the issue first gained attention earlier this year when it was reported that over 5,000 Indians were suspected to be trapped in Cambodia, forced to carry out cyber frauds under duress. These individuals are often sent abroad on false promises of data entry jobs, only to find themselves exploited in illegal activities.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), a division of the MHA, has noted a significant rise in cybercrimes originating from Southeast Asia. In fact, 45 per cent of cybercrimes targeting Indians are believed to come from this region. Since January 2023, approximately 100,000 cyber complaints have been filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Sources said that the victims are employed by scamming companies, where they are required to create fake social media profiles, often using images of women, to lure unsuspecting individuals into fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Once the target invests, they are either blocked or ‘ghosted’, leaving them defrauded.
ALSO READ: Israel Launches ‘localised’ ground raids on Hezbollah targets
