Fresh details have emerged about an alleged international cybercrime network in Myanmar, where 25 youths from Maharashtra are reportedly being held captive after being lured abroad with fake job offers. Families of the victims are now urging authorities to secure their safe return.
One of the victims, 30-year-old Kaustubh Shejwal from Mangalmurti Nagar in Nashik, managed to contact his family and describe the conditions inside the camp. Kaustubh, who studied up to Class 12, left home on April 25 after being promised a call centre job in Bangkok with a monthly salary of ₹70,000. Instead, he was allegedly taken to Myanmar and held captive.
During a phone call with his family, Kaustubh said, “We are forced to work 18 hours a day. We are served food that even rats and cockroaches wouldn’t eat.” He also claimed that those who refuse to work are tied up and given electric shocks. According to him, women trapped at the facility are also facing severe torture.
The Shejwal family said around 25 people from Maharashtra, including 8 from Nashik, are currently trapped in the camp. They have appealed to the government to rescue all the victims.
With the help of a local public representative, the family approached Maharashtra’s Disaster Management Minister, Girish Mahajan. The matter has been brought to the Chief Minister’s attention, and rescue efforts have reportedly been intensified.
Sources close to the minister said he has “communicated with the affected youths from Nashik to offer them reassurance and support”. The sources added, “He assured them that the government stands firmly behind them and that all necessary mechanisms will be immediately activated to ensure their safe rescue. Reports indicate that over 25 youths from Maharashtra have been defrauded, with more than 400 youths from across the country currently stranded.”
Authorities have warned that organised criminal groups operating from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and nearby countries are using fake job offers on social media to target young Indians. Victims are promised jobs in IT, data entry, digital marketing and customer support before being forced into online investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams and other financial crimes. Their passports are confiscated, and they are punished if they fail to meet targets.
Earlier this year, more than 120 people from Andhra Pradesh were rescued from similar crime hubs in Myanmar. In November and December last year, another 79 victims were repatriated.
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