KOCHI: The Ministry of External Affairs has initiated steps to rescue 150-odd Indian nationals who are trapped in Myanmar after being cheated by a job racket, said Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan in Kochi on Saturday.
The minister who arrived in the city to inaugurate a seminar organised by the BJP on the ‘Vision and Mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ told reporters that agencies in various countries are involved in the racket.
He said the MEA does not have information about the number of Keralites among the trapped Indians. “I have written to Tamil Nadu chief secretary to initiate action against a Madurai-based job recruitment agency which cheated the job aspirants offering them data entry jobs in Thailand. The MEA is in the process of ensuring their safe return and the Indian ambassador in Myanmar is coordinating the efforts,” he told TNIE.
Meanwhile, the MEA issued an advisory on Saturday cautioning Indian nationals against fake job offers floated through social media platforms or other sources. “Before travelling on tourist and visit visa for employment purpose, Indian nationals should check the credentials of the employers through missions concerned abroad and antecedents of recruiting agents and companies” the advisory said.
“Instances of job rackets offering lucrative jobs to entice Indian youths in posts of digital sales and marketing executives in Thailand in the name of dubious IT firms involved in call centre scam and crypto currency fraud have been reported by our missions in Bangkok and Myanmar. The target groups are IT-skilled youth who are lured through social media advertisements as well as agents. The victims were reportedly taken across the border illegally and held captive to work under harsh conditions. Therefore Indians are advised not to get entrapped in such job offers,” said the advisory.