The Indian Embassy in Laos announced on Monday the rescue 67 Indian youth who were trafficked into cyber-scam centres operating in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province, Laos. These youth were forced to work under threats by criminal syndicates in the area.
In a press release the Embassy said, “Embassy of India has successfully rescued 67 Indian youth who had been duped and trafficked into cyber-scam centres operating at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province of Lao PDR. These youth were forced to work there under intimidation and abuse by criminal syndicates operating in GTSEZ.”
Upon receiving requests for help, Embassy officials responded and provided necessary assistance, including traveling to GTSEZ and working closely with Lao authorities to complete the required procedures and paperwork. The Embassy also facilitated their transport from Bokeo to Vientiane and arranged food and accommodation for the rescued individuals, according to the statement given.
Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met with the rescued youth to discuss the challenges they faced and assured them of their safety and the Embassy’s full support for their safe return to India. Agrawal “assured them of their safety and Embassy’s full support as a matter of highest priority for their safe return to India. He also advised them about further course of action, including the need for them to lodge complaints against the agents who had duped them,” also revealed in the media statement.
The Embassy is currently working closely with Lao authorities for completion of exit formalities, following which all of the rescued individuals will be able to travel back to India shortly. The Embassy expressed gratitude to the Lao authorities for their cooperation and requested action against unscrupulous elements, with the matter being raised at the highest levels.
he Embassy reported rescuing 924 Indians to date, with 857 already safely back in India. They also issued an alert for Indian youth seeking employment in Thailand, particularly warning about travel requests to Chiang Rai near the Thai-Lao border, as these often lead to trafficking into GTSEZ. The advisory mentions risks of passport confiscation and forced signing of exploitative contracts.
To prevent such incidents, the Embassy has published a detailed advisory on its website and shared contact details for assistance.