KOZHIKODE : Twenty-eight-year-old Kozhikode resident Rahul Das has returned home after enduring a harrowing ordeal in Laos as a human-trafficking victim. His story sheds light on the dark side of international job scams and the dangers many unsuspecting individuals face when lured abroad with the promise of employment.
Rahul was offered a well-paying data entry job in Laos through the Kozhikode branch of a Bengaluru-based travel agency. Trusting the veracity of the opportunity facilitated by a resident of Kundaithode in Kozhikode, Rahul embarked on what he believed would be a path to financial stability.
“On August 4, I landed in Bangkok, Thailand. From there, I was transported to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The reality of my situation began to unravel there. I was introduced to two Malayalis, Muhammad Ashiq and Shaheed, who served as intermediaries for the operation,” Rahul told TNIE. From there, he was taken to a call centre located in the notorious Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, an area infamous for online scams, he said.
“The mafia running the centre operated under the guise of a game zone, but their true business was financial fraud. Like me, other Malayalis who were trapped at the centre were not physically harmed. But psychologically, we faced severe threats and coercion. The mafia used every tactic to ensure compliance, including forced drug use,” he said.
Rahul was compelled to remain a part of the fraudulent operation for 15 days, living in constant fear and under immense pressure.
The turning point came by chance, when a raid was conducted on the fraudulent “game zone”. Seizing the opportunity, Rahul managed to escape with his passport in hand. Determined to return home, he contacted the office of Union Minister Suresh Gopi for assistance. The timely intervention from the minister’s office played a crucial role in securing his safe return to India, he said.
On his arrival in Kozhikode, a grateful Rahul said, “No matter how much I thank the officials, it won’t be enough.” At the same time, he also highlighted a grim reality: many other Malayalis remain trapped in Laos, as victims of similar job scams. “Several people have already fallen into their trap and they won’t be able to find the culprits as they operate from these small cities,” he said.
Rahul’s ordeal has not gone unnoticed. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has collected information from him and the Kozhikode Rural Police have launched a probe into the matter.