Indian Embassy in Laos rescued 67 Indian youth who were trafficked into cyber-scam centers in Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province, Laos. They were forced to work by criminal gangs in the area.
In a statement the Embassy said, "Embassy of India has successfully rescued 67 Indian youth who had been duped and trafficked into cyber-scam centres operating at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province of Lao PDR. These youth were forced to work there under intimidation and abuse by criminal syndicates operating in GTSEZ."
When approached for help, Embassy officials responded and assisted by traveling to GTSEZ and working with Lao authorities to complete the formalities and paperwork. Embassy also arranged for their transport from Bokeo to Vientiane and food and accommodation for the rescued persons as per the statement.
Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal met the rescued youth and listened to their problems and assured them of their safety and Embassy’s full support for their safe return to India. Agrawal "assured them of their safety and Embassy's full support as a matter of highest priority for their safe return to India. He also advised them about further course of action, including the need for them to lodge complaints against the agents who had duped them," as per the media statement.
The Embassy is working with Lao authorities to complete the exit formalities after which all the rescued persons will be able to travel back to India soon. The Embassy thanked Lao authorities for their cooperation and requested action against the unscrupulous elements. The matter has been taken up at the highest level.
The Embassy has rescued 924 Indians so far and 857 have already reached India. They have also issued an advisory for Indian youth seeking employment in Thailand, particularly warning against travel to Chiang Rai near the Thai-Lao border as these often lead to trafficking into GTSEZ. The advisory mentions risk of passport confiscation and forced signing of exploitative contracts.
To prevent such incidents, the Embassy has published a detailed advisory on its website and shared contact details for assistance.
