Dimapur, October 5 (MExN): Following reports that a large number of Indians, including 33 from Nagaland, are stranded in Southeast Asian countries, the Nagaland Police has urged stranded parents and relatives to contact its Police Control Room for assistance.
The Police Control Room can be reached at the following:Mobile/WhatsApp Number: 08794833041; Email: spcrkohima@gmail.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/NagalandPolice ; X (formerly Twitter): @DGP_Nagaland
Citing news published on September 30, the police highlighted that a significant number of educated youths are being lured into Southeast Asian countries with promises of high-paying jobs. However, many of these individuals have found themselves "trapped" in what has been described as 'Cyber Slavery.'
According to an Indian Express report dated September 30, out of 73,138 Indians who traveled to Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam on visitor visas from January 2022 to May 2024, 29,466 are yet to return. More than half of these individuals (17,115) fall within the 20-39 age group. Of the total, 21,182 are males, and over one-third are from three states: Punjab (3,667), Maharashtra (3,233), and Tamil Nadu (3,124). Notably, Thailand accounts for over 69 percent of the total, with 20,450 individuals.
These alarming details have emerged from data compiled by the Bureau of Immigration under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), it said.
The Bureau has directed states and Union Territories to investigate individuals who have not returned from Southeast Asia amid allegations of some Indians being trapped in “cyber slavery,” it added.
Among the North-Eastern states, Assam recorded the highest number of stranded individuals at 93, followed by Manipur with 38 and Nagaland with 33. Visitors from other North-East states who have not returned from Southeast Asia include Sikkim (20), Meghalaya (18), Mizoram (14), Tripura (12), and Arunachal Pradesh (6).
