25 youth lured to Thailand for jobs, forced into cyber fraud

Mumbai: The Mumbai police have arrested two persons after it emerged that over 25 Indians were lured with “high-paying” jobs in Thailand but taken to Laos, where they were forced to commit cyber fraud, an official said on Tuesday.

The arrest of agents Jerry Jacob (46), whom police described as the kingpin of the racket, and his associate Godfrey Alvares (39) came on the complaint of one Siddharth Yadav (23). The case, registered on March 23, also names another agent named Sunny. Thane resident Yadav and three others, who too were victims of the job syndicate, had managed to return from Laos with the help of the Indian embassy in the Southeast Asian country.

Yadav told the police he flew to Thailand in December 2022 hoping to earn good money but was taken to a place in Laos, near the Thailand border. Accused Jacob, Alvares and Sunny allegedly made Yadav and about two dozen Indians work in call centres that scammed people.