Mumbai: Victims recount horrifying 145-day ordeal in Laos

Siddharth Yadav (in glasses, foreground) and Amit Sunar (in blue shirt)along with other employees in the fake call centre in Laos

The Chinese mafia has been targeting Indian, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi nationals with high-paying jobs, pushing them into slavery. The recent rescue of Indians from Laos has unveiled one of the most organised networks operated by the Chinese mafia, aiming to defraud US, Canada, and UK nationals through phishing.

MiD-Day spoke with victims Amit Sunar and Siddharth Yadav, who recounted a horrifying 145-day ordeal in Laos from December 2022 to April 2023. The case came to light recently when they approached the police. The duo revealed how they were forced to work more than 13 to 14 hours a day without breaks, enduring threats of dire consequences or further sale to the drug mafia in exchange for cocaine. In return for their freedom, the mafia extorted money from their families.

Fortunately, some managed to contact the Indian Embassy, which intervened and rescued them. "I work in the hotel management industry, and a colleague suggested I meet Jerry Jacob and his associates for well-paying jobs abroad. They promised a call centre job in Thailand," said Yadav, 24, one of the victims.

Jerry Jacob and Godfrey Alvos in Crime Branch Unit 8's custody

According to Yadav, his documentation process took a week, and he was swiftly sent to Laos. "I was asked to make a payment of Rs 50,000. I paid around Rs 30,000. To my surprise, as soon as I paid the token amount, the documentation process began. To gain my trust, they even gave me an offer letter, sent me tickets to Thailand, and suggested I would go beyond Thailand. I sensed something was wrong, but I ignored my gut instinct as I was lured by the offer," Yadav added.

"On December 31, 2022, I began to travel. I boarded a flight to Thailand and then went to Laos via ship. As soon as I reached Laos, I met Jerry Jacob, who asked for my passport, which I handed over. In Laos, we were taken to the Golden Triangle," Yadav said.

Trained to commit fraud

Upon arriving in Laos, Yadav realised he wasn't going to work in a call centre. "The Chinese company trained us to commit cyber fraud. We were expected to work for 12-13 hours, and they fined us if we didn't meet their expectations, sit upright, or took a break beyond 5 minutes. I requested Jerry to give me a different job or send me back to India.

He offered a different job but said returning to India would incur a heavy penalty," Yadav continued."We were instructed to create profiles on TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp and target high-profile individuals. When we complained, Jerry assigned us to a different company," added Amit Sunar, 30, another victim. "Jerry then assigned me to a different company, where I spoke to customers and transferred calls to Chinese companies. Despite getting training to have a foreign accent, we weren't paid, and inhuman conditions persisted. I decided to contact the Indian Embassy as I couldn't bear the torture," Yadav said.

When Jerry learned of the victims' contact with the embassy, he threatened them. "He first tried to confiscate my phone, but I refused, citing private photos. Four people contacted the embassy, and we were threatened by Jerry. He threatened to sell us and obtain cocaine in exchange. However, all four of us refused to withdraw the complaint," Yadav added.

"After learning of our contact with the Indian Embassy, Jerry and Godfrey trapped us in a room, seized our phones, and threatened us. Jerry grabbed my collar and threatened me, saying, ‘Jaan se mar dunga, family members ko pata bhi nahi chalega. Embassy kuch nahi kar payegi.' The next day, local police rescued us and presented us in the Labour Violence court, after which we returned to India," said Amit Sunar.

Embassy rescues

The embassy, with the help of local police, rescued four people from the office premises. "I was in constant touch with the Indian Embassy. They told us not to worry. A team of local police was sent to the building compound, and they rescued us and took us to a safe spot. Jerry took 10 days to return our passports to the embassy, claiming they needed to be stamped," Yadav said.

"I called my family and asked them to arrange finances so I could return to India. We went to Thailand and then back to India. Upon reaching my country, I felt relieved to be rescued. However, many people remain trapped there. The Chinese company and Jerry mentally torture people. If you get scared, they'll frighten you more. I was contacted by Crime Branch officials, and my statement was recorded. An FIR has been registered, and I didn't hesitate to come forward and record a statement as they should be punished," Yadav added.

"We were provided with facilities in the complex, including good food and a bar, but I felt trapped in jail due to inhuman conditions. Despite working long hours, we only got Sundays off, but we couldn't leave the complex without passports. Jerry and Godfrey were verbally abusive. Those 145 days were dreadful and continue to haunt me," Sunar added.

Duo arrested

According to Crime Branch Unit 8, Jerry Jacob, 49, and Godfrey Alvos, 39, were arrested in this matter. "Both alleged accused are Indian nationals, and we arrested them based on intelligence inputs. We received a tip that Jerry would fly back to India, and we apprehended him immediately," said an officer.

The police suspect the duo received heavy commissions for sending people to the country. "We are investigating whether both accused have transaction history or a criminal record. We're also probing for any other individuals involved," a police officer said. The duo has been booked under sections 370 (trafficking), 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (common intention), and other relevant sections of the IPC.

The MEA had issued a press release in March this year which stated "Collaborating closely with Cambodian authorities, it has rescued and repatriated about 250 Indians." "Our Embassy in Cambodia has been promptly responding to complaints from Indian nationals who were lured with employment opportunities to that country but were forced to undertake illegal cyber work."

Several advisories had also been issued by the Ministry and the Embassy of India in Cambodia to our nationals about such scams. We remain committed to helping all those Indian nationals in Cambodia who seek our support."

5 minutes
Time they were allowed to take a break for

13 -14 hrs
No of hours they were forced to work