Hyderabad: A 28-year-old man from Nizamabad made a bold escape from Laos after being trafficked under the pretense of employment. B Ravi, a postgraduate in chemistry from Choutpally village in Kammarpalle mandal, fell victim to a job agent and was coerced into participating in cybercrime activities in the Southeast Asian nation.
Deceived into traveling first to Thailand and then to Laos in November 2024, Ravi found himself in a perilous situation. Upon his arrival, company representatives confiscated his passport, revealing that he and other workers were being trained to engage in cybercriminal activities.
“If my escape plan failed, I likely wouldn’t be alive today,” Ravi told the Media.
“It was during the training that it became clear to me and others what was expected of us. We were to trap people and cheat them of their money in cybercrimes,” Ravi recalled.
Eager to return to India, Ravi found himself without his passport and was restricted to a company dormitory alongside fellow workers. Undaunted, he discreetly contacted the Chinese police, who suggested he reach out to the Indian embassy in Laos. After sending an email detailing his situation, he quickly received assistance. The embassy provided him with a temporary travel document, allowing him to be flown from Bokeo to Vientiane airport. He finally returned to India on March 1, following a challenging experience.
To help others avoid similar situations, Ravi recounted his story of Laos trafficking to cybercrime officials in Hyderabad and Nizamabad. “I did not want anyone to fall into a similar trap,” Ravi said.
His actions resulted in the arrest of the trafficker, Mittapalli Narsa Reddy, 50, along with two accomplices, Alakunta Sampath, 31, and Dundagula Chiranjeevi, 21, on March 4. The trio faces charges for allegedly facilitating fraudulent job placements for young people overseas and has been placed in judicial custody for 14 days. Nizamabad cybercrime ACP Y Venkateshwar Rao confirmed the arrests and praised Ravi’s courage. He noted that Ravi’s experience has highlighted the risks associated with job fraud and human trafficking, encouraging others to be vigilant when presented with seemingly attractive job opportunities abroad.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
