Srinagar, March 13, 2025 – In a significant operation, the Counter Intelligence Wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has successfully rescued 13 youths from the region who were trafficked to a cyber-fraud hub in Myanmar under the guise of lucrative job offers. The rescue, detailed by Senior Superintendent of Police Counter Intelligence Kashmir, Tahir Ashraf, sheds light on a sophisticated scam targeting educated young individuals through social media platforms.
According to SSP Ashraf, the victims, primarily from Kashmir, were lured by fraudulent job postings on platforms like Facebook, advertising data entry positions in Thailand. “Online scams in the name of providing jobs take place every day,” Ashraf said during a press briefing in Srinagar. “In this case, which we are dealing with now, the same thing happens: the educated young kids of Kashmir search for jobs on social media, especially on Facebook, and they click on links and find job vacancies for data entry operators.”
The scam unfolded as the youths engaged with these postings, participating in online interviews and receiving travel arrangements. “Tickets were also sent to them. Some were sent, some were told that they could come with tickets,” Ashraf explained. “So, these youths went to Thailand. After going there, they realized that they had been scammed and trapped there.”
Upon arrival in Thailand, the victims were trafficked to Myanmar, where they were forced into a cyber-fraud operation. The exact nature of the work they were coerced into has not been fully disclosed, but such hubs are often linked to illegal online activities, including financial scams targeting individuals worldwide.
The Counter Intelligence Wing acted swiftly after receiving information about the situation. “When we received the info about this, we acted on it and rescued 13 youths,” Ashraf stated. The operation involved coordination with relevant authorities, though specifics of the rescue process were not elaborated upon. The rescued individuals have since been brought back to Srinagar, where they are receiving “proper security and proper counseling” to aid their recovery and reintegration.
This incident highlights the growing threat of cyber-enabled human trafficking, particularly targeting vulnerable job seekers in regions like Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities have urged young people to exercise caution when pursuing employment opportunities online, emphasising the need to verify the legitimacy of job offers, especially those promising work abroad.
The rescued youths, whose identities have not been disclosed, are now safe, but the case underscores a broader challenge as similar scams continue to ensnare individuals across India and beyond. Investigations into the trafficking network responsible for this operation are ongoing, with officials working to dismantle the racket and prevent further exploitation.