Families turn to middlemen to rescue kin held in Myanmar

DEHRADUN: The families of around 20 men from Uttarakhand, who were lured to Thailand around two months ago with offers of lucrative jobs in the IT and restaurant sectors but ended up being forced to work in a cyber fraud call centre in Myanmar, have approached middlemen to secure their release by paying around Rs 2.5 lakh per person. They did it as they were getting restless due to "mere assurances by the authorities" to free their kin.
A family member of a man held in Myanmar, requesting anonymity, told TOI that families, including those of men from other states, have met the authorities concerned several times only to receive assurances.
"We were told it is an international matter with the involvement of some non-governmental individuals of that country. Due to that, rescuing them is not easy and might take time. However, considering the condition of our sons, we are afraid we may get unfortunate news any time soon. Hence, we are looking at other options, including middlemen, to secure their freedom," he said.
This comes amid reports that around 5,000 Indians are held against their will in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia and are forced to commit fraud under threats of violence, including physical torture and electric shocks, if targets are not met.
A family member of another man in Myanmar said some families have "paid around Rs 2.5 lakh each to middlemen" to broker their freedom from abductors. "We are desperate to get our sons freed. Earlier, we were receiving messages from them about their condition by discreetly using mobile phones. That too has stopped for two weeks. We now have no idea whether they are alive or dead. We urge the authorities to rescue our sons as soon as possible," he added.
Meanwhile, Haridwar MP and former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat on Saturday wrote to external affairs minister S Jaishankar after meeting an affected family. "I have urged the ministry to direct the authorities concerned to carry out a detailed probe and make the required efforts to safely bring back the Uttarakhand youths held captive in a foreign land. We hope they will soon return to their families," said Rawat.