NEW DELHI: A 24-year-old graphic designer from Maharashtra’s Beed district has been held “captive” in Myanmar for nearly a month and forced to work 16-18 hours a day in cyber fraud operations, police said on Wednesday.The Beed cyber police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified agents and individuals based on a complaint filed by the victim’s wife and launched an investigation.According to police, the man spotted an advertisement on social media for a graphic designing and data entry job in Bangkok, Thailand. Enticed by the promise of a monthly salary equivalent to Rs 70,000, he contacted the WhatsApp number provided in the ad. Believing the offer to be genuine, he boarded a flight from Pune to Bangkok on June 4.“The ordeal came to light when the man managed to make a WhatsApp call to his wife, narrating the horrific conditions of his captivity in Myanmar. He revealed that 20 to 25 other individuals from Maharashtra, along with hundreds of other Indian nationals, are currently trapped in the facility,” PTI quoted a police officer as saying.The man also told his wife that two to three captives who confronted their captors were killed.“The graphic designer pleaded for immediate rescue, stating that his life was in imminent danger,” the official said.After the call, his wife approached the local cyber police station and lodged a complaint. The Beed cyber police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.Authorities believe it is a vast international human trafficking syndicate linked to cyber fraud operations that has trapped hundreds of unsuspecting Indian nationals.
