SRINAGAR: India’s campaign against cyber slavery has intensified, with the Government confirming that more than 6,700 Indian citizens have been rescued from scam compounds in Cambodia, Myanmar and Lao PDR. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on December 11, said that the victims were lured through fake overseas job offers circulated largely on social media and then forced to work in cybercrime and fraudulent call-centre operations run by organised syndicates.
According to the Government, cyber slavery rackets typically operate by promising high-paying jobs in the technology and service sectors. Once Indian recruits arrive in Southeast Asian countries, they are transported illegally to scam centres where passports are seized, movement is restricted and workers are coerced into executing online fraud. The MEA said the total number of Indians trapped is unknown because many travel through illegal channels or unverified agents, making them untraceable until distress messages reach Indian missions.
Despite the lack of precise numbers, Indian embassies in Cambodia, Myanmar and Lao PDR have conducted extensive rescue operations. The MEA informed Parliament that 2,265 Indians had been rescued from Cambodia, 2,290 from Lao PDR and 2,165 from Myanmar. Those rescued include a significant number of software professionals who were deceived by the promise of legitimate IT jobs.
The Government stated that it has consistently raised the issue of cyber slavery with the concerned Governments at the political level. Indian missions have been working with local foreign ministries, immigration departments, labour offices and law-enforcement agencies to secure the release and repatriation of trapped citizens. The MEA emphasised that the safety of Indian nationals abroad remains a priority, and missions are instructed to intervene quickly whenever such cases surface.
To strengthen coordination, India has established multiple channels for victims to seek help, including walk-ins at embassies, email communication, 24×7 multilingual emergency lines, WhatsApp helplines, and grievance platforms such as MADAD, CPGRAMS and e-Migrate. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also set up the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to deal comprehensively with cybercrime.
The Government has been issuing regular advisories warning job seekers to verify recruitment agents and overseas employers. Indian missions in Southeast Asia continue to publish detailed alerts on their websites and social media accounts, cautioning people about fake job offers. A list of 3,505 unregistered agents has been made public on the e-Migrate portal, based on complaints from victims and reports from missions abroad.
To curb fraudulent networks, the Centre has stepped up collaboration between MEA, Indian missions, State Governments and cybercrime agencies. Awareness campaigns have been intensified through SMS alerts, radio messages, MyGov publicity drives, digital arrest scam warnings and announcements in public transport systems. The MEA said these measures are aimed at ensuring that potential job seekers do not fall prey to organised cyber trafficking syndicates that have rapidly expanded across Southeast Asia.
