Hyderabad Youth's Dream Job Offer in Thailand Turns Into Cyber Slavery Nightmare
What began as a promising career opportunity has descended into a harrowing ordeal for a young man from Hyderabad. Mir Sajjad Ali, a 23-year-old resident of Kattal Guda in Hyderabad, is among 16 Indian nationals trapped in a cyber slavery ring operating on the Myanmar-Thailand border. His story highlights the dangers of international job scams targeting vulnerable youth.
From Promising Opportunity to Distress Call
Mir Sajjad Ali received what appeared to be a dream job offer last November. The position promised work as a digital sales executive from a plush call center in Bangkok, with monthly earnings approaching Rs 1 lakh and accommodation in a villa complete with swimming pool amenities. Eager to secure this opportunity, Mir traveled to Thailand without informing his parents about the true nature of his trip.
"He simply said he was going on a holiday," explained Mehdi Ali, Mir's cousin. "When he called his mother after landing in Bangkok, he mentioned he would work from there. For about eight days, he made video calls showing what appeared to be a decent workplace."
The Reality of Cyber Slavery
The situation took a drastic turn approximately two weeks after Mir's arrival. Instead of the promised comfortable work environment, he found himself confined to a dingy, overcrowded house functioning as a cybercrime den on the Thailand-Myanmar border. On January 16, Mir managed to make a distress call to relatives, revealing the truth of his circumstances.
"He was confined with several others at a call center that was scamming people, and when he and others refused, they were beaten and abused," said Sayed Ali, the relative who received the urgent call for help.
Political Intervention Brings Case to Light
The plight of Mir and other trapped youths came to public attention after Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi highlighted their situation. In a social media post, Owaisi detailed the distressing conditions faced by these Indian nationals.
"They are forced to work 18-20 hours daily, physically punished, and deprived of passports, phones, and medical facilities," Owaisi wrote, urging External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene urgently.
Pattern of Deception and Exploitation
According to family members, the recruiter used sophisticated deception tactics to lure Mir. "When the recruiter made a video call, he showed a beautiful villa with a swimming pool and several amenities," Mehdi Ali recounted. "He was told this was the workplace and encouraged to travel as quickly as possible to Bangkok or someone else would take the job."
Mir, a college dropout who had completed several online courses and was struggling to find well-paying employment despite doing part-time online gigs, proved particularly vulnerable to such promises.
Broader Regional Impact
This case is not isolated. Two other Hyderabad youths have been identified as trapped in similar circumstances: Sameer Khan of Maula Ali and Arshad of Banjara Hills. Sources indicate that numerous youths from various parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have fallen victim to this job racket.
An Andhra Pradesh CID official revealed the systematic nature of the exploitation: "Those who were rescued by Thai police and returned home said that they were manhandled, abused and threatened if they refused to do the work, which is basically cybercrime. They are given daily targets, and if they fail, their passports and phones are seized."
Previous Rescue Operations
This disturbing pattern has precedent. Last November, the Andhra Pradesh government, with assistance from the Government of India, successfully rescued 370 individuals from similar call centers on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Among those rescued were 55 people from Andhra Pradesh, who were repatriated via three separate flights.
CID Director General Dr A Ravi Shankar described the situation as "cyber slavery," noting that victims were "forced to commit online fraud from these dubious call centers." In a more recent operation during the second week of January, 22 additional Andhra Pradesh youths were rescued through coordinated efforts between the CID, central authorities, and Thai officials.
Family's Anguish and Ongoing Ordeal
Mir's family remains deeply concerned about his safety. His father works in Kuwait City while his mother resides in Hyderabad. After initial contact ceased for nearly 15 days following his arrival in Thailand, Mir eventually made a hurried and frightened phone call indicating he was confined somewhere near the Thailand-Myanmar border, based on his phone's location data.
"A few days ago, he called to say his phone had been taken away for a while," Mehdi Ali shared. "He told his mother and another relative about the ordeal that he and two other youths from Hyderabad were facing. He said that several Indian youths were trapped in a similar situation, and asked to be rescued."
The case underscores the urgent need for greater awareness about international job scams and stronger mechanisms to protect Indian citizens from such exploitation abroad.
