KOCHI: Seven migrant workers allegedly held captive by a gang that promised jobs in Canada were rescued by the Kochi city police on Friday, while one suspect was arrested in connection with the interstate job fraud racket.
Acting on a confidential tip-off, police launched an investigation and traced the victims to a rented building near the Cheranalloor junction. Officers said all seven men were found in a weakened condition when they were rescued. The victims hail from Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
According to investigators, the accused had lured the men with promises of employment opportunities in Canada and collected around Rs 30 lakh from each victim. The gang allegedly assured them that arrangements would be made to facilitate their migration to Canada. Instead, the victims were allegedly held captive and threatened at the rented premises.
Victims forced to take videos from ‘Canada’
Police said the accused operated an elaborate fraud by creating the impression that the victims had already reached Canada. To achieve this, flex boards displaying images of Canadian locations were installed inside the house, and the victims were filmed standing in front of them.
The victims were allegedly forced to tell their relatives that they had safely arrived in Canada. The videos were then sent to family members back home, convincing them that the migration process had been completed and helping them extract money from the victims.
Police said all seven victims had educational qualifications only up to Class VIII, making them particularly vulnerable to the scam.
The racket came to light after one of the victims managed to escape from the rented house and alert authorities. Following the escape, around 11 members of the gang allegedly fled with the money collected from the victims.
West Bengal native arrested
Subsequent investigations led police to Abdul Rahim, a native of Siliguri in West Bengal, who was arrested from the vicinity of Ernakulam South Railway Station. During the arrest, officers recovered the victims’ mobile phones, passports and around Rs 1 lakh in cash from his possession.
Abdul Rahim was produced before a magistrate court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody. Police have intensified efforts to trace the remaining accused.
Investigators have also received information suggesting that the gang may have carried out similar job frauds in other states. Cheranalloor police are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in those states to identify additional victims and uncover the full extent of the racket.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Ernakulam central assistant commissioner of police Premanand Krishnan.
The investigation and arrest were led by Cheranalloor police inspector Jayashankar, assisted by sub-inspectors Sunil G, Chaithanya and Sabu, assistant sub-inspectors Nazeer and Manoj, and other police personnel.
30 lakh from each victim
According to investigators, the accused had lured the men with promises of job opportunities in Canada and collected around H30 lakh from each victim
The victims hail from Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
Officers said all seven men were found in a weakened condition when they were rescued from a rented building in Cheranalloor
