Explained: how Indians were forced into cybercrime in Myanmar

India has rescued 32 nationals who were being held hostage in Myanmar after being lured on the pretext of lucrative IT jobs.

As per a Times of India report, over 300 Indians were conned by gangs engaged in hacking, online fraud and fake crypto activities. They were first promised jobs in Thailand and were then taken to Myanmar. The Indian govt has however pinned the number of Indians stuck in Myanmar at 80-90 with over 50 still needing help or rescue.

'The workers are lured with social media advertisements of highly lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand. Unfortunately, these workers are then illegally taken across the border to the Myawaddy area of Myanmar, which is difficult to access due to the local security situation,' ministry of external affairs

The Myawaddy area is not controlled by the Myanmar govt, it is run by ethnic armed groups,

As per a Times of India report, the situation came to light after some hostages sent an SOS message to the Indian govt saying they were being forced into cybercrime and were subjected to electric shocks on refusal. The men also said that were they being made to work 15 hours a day.

'We would urge Indian nationals to exercise extreme caution before taking up such job offers. It may also be mentioned that the visa on arrival scheme in Thailand does not permit employment,' Bagchi said.

The Indian embassy in Yangong, had also issued an advisory on July 5 cautioning Indians against 'unscrupulous elements offering jobs'.