A 34-year-old business administration graduate from Pune, identified only as Sahil, has recounted his harrowing three-month ordeal in a Myanmar scam compound, where he was tortured for eight days after refusing to participate in online fraud. He was among a group of Indians airlifted by the Indian Air Force in January 2025.
The Trap
In late September 2025, Sahil, desperate for work after returning from a three-year stint in Sierra Leone, saw an Instagram advertisement for a $4,000-a-month job at a luxury hotel in Thailand. He filled out an online form and soon received a call from someone claiming to be a representative of a Thai placement agency. He was told to buy a ticket to Bangkok and that everything else would be taken care of. He paid Rs 10,000 for the ticket and left on September 25.
Upon arrival in Bangkok, he was picked up in a Lexus. The car switched at least 17 times during the journey, raising his suspicions. He was given 3,000 Thai baht (Rs 8,700) for expenses and stayed in a hotel for two days before another car arrived with a man from Dehradun. The driver directed them to Mae Sot, a transit point into Myanmar.
Blindfolded and Taken
Near a river, the driver pulled out a gun and a knife, forced them to wear blindfolds, and ordered them onto a boat. After 10 minutes, they reached a disembarking point where a group of about 60 people, all with stunned looks, were told to trek approximately 60 km. Sahil discarded non-essential items along the way. They were taken to KK Park, near Myawaddy, one of the world's largest scam compounds, which once held 2,000 individuals forced into cyber slavery.
Forced Labor and Refusal
On September 29, 2025, Sahil's captors confiscated his passport and other documents. After three days in a room, he was taken to a call center where he saw people from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, including young women. He was ordered to scan social media profiles of Americans and pass their details to seniors for pig butchering scams. Sahil refused to work, taking naps and ignoring calls. His captors grew annoyed but he remained adamant.
Escape and Recapture
On October 21, the Myanmar army raided KK Park, seizing Starlink devices and dismantling infrastructure. Sahil's captors fled into the jungle, taking along Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis. When offered better pay at another compound, Sahil and others refused. They were threatened with beheading or organ harvesting. They were taken to Apollo Park, which had a sign reading 'Apollo Park, Pig Slaughter Farm' in Mandarin.
The Fight and Torture
In mid-November, Sahil managed to call his parents, who were in talks with police. On November 15, a Chinese employee at Apollo Park grabbed his collar and slapped him. Sahil punched him, leading to a fight. The next day, captors dragged him into a solitary room and tortured him for eight days. 'They hung me upside down, hit me and starved me. Every two days, I was given some rice and fish balls to eat. I think they drugged me to stop my screams. But I refused to cheat people,' Sahil said. He passed out from pain and was dumped at a local hospital.
Rescue and Repatriation
At the hospital, Sahil pleaded not to be sent back to Apollo Park. Staff guided him to a detention centre. For 45 days, he and other Indians gathered contacts of authorities. On January 7, 2025, they were taken to Mae Sot, where travel documents were prepared. An IAF plane flew them to Delhi. Sahil's condition stunned officials. He was debriefed and later gave a statement to police in Pune. Deputy Commissioner Shivaji Pawar said the statement helps understand how people are lured into cyber slavery. A CBI official noted efforts to dismantle trafficking networks. Over 6,700 Indians have been brought back since 2022.
Sahil, now jobless but alive, says, 'I would rather be jobless than make money through such means.' He warns others: 'Do not click on something online that feels too good to be true.'
