Daily Times

The families of 13 Pakistani nationals allegedly taken hostage by job scammers in Myanmar have appealed to authorities to secure their release, saying their loved ones are being confined to a compound, subjected to torture and forced to lure customers online for cryptocurrency scams.

The incident is part of a growing trend of Pakistanis falling victim to transnational criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia. In July this year, families of six other Pakistanis reported similar cases, claiming their relatives were held hostage by criminal gangs in Myanmar.

According to the families of the 13 individuals, including two women, they traveled to Thailand in March on valid work visas for a construction company, where they worked for two months. Subsequently, they were relocated to Laos and then Myanmar after their employer claimed to be moving operations.

The victims, who had completed short computer and IT courses, had prior experience in online jobs and were recruited by an agent in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

“They are now being held hostage in Myanmar, subjected to physical torture and sleep deprivation and forced to lure customers from Europe, America and Canada into cryptocurrency scams,” Danish Qamar, a resident of Wah Cantt in Punjab province, whose brother and nephew are among the trapped, told Arab News.

“They are tortured and made to work over 18 hours daily to trap people into fake cryptocurrency investments,” he added. “We have written applications to Pakistan’s foreign office and the Overseas Pakistani Foundation, but there has been no meaningful response.”

The issue of Myanmar’s criminal zones has also raised global concern, with the United States Institute of Peace reporting in November 2022 that these areas have been facilitating human trafficking, slavery and international fraud on a large scale.

Such criminal activities exploit vulnerable individuals, lured by the promise of high-paying jobs abroad, only to be trapped in forced labor and fraudulent operations.

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s foreign office acknowledged reports of Pakistani citizens being detained by such networks in Myanmar, saying that its diplomatic mission in the Southeast Asian country was working with local authorities to secure their release. The foreign office also emphasized the need for a coordinated international response to combat human trafficking and transnational organized crime.

Asked about the 13 Pakistanis, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated in a brief response to Arab News, “Our mission is in contact with the relevant authorities.”

However, she did not provide further details on the number of Pakistanis held or the measures being taken for their release.

According to the families, the 13 individuals have been trapped in Myanmar for about 20 days. Efforts to seek help from Pakistani missions in Myanmar and Thailand have proven futile, as officials reportedly cited limited access to the “lawless” border regions where the victims are being held.

“Officials say this is a lawless area, but the scammers have all the facilities like the Internet and electricity to run their operations,” said Maqsood Sadiq, the father of Suleman, 20, one of the hostages. “We urge the government to act immediately to secure their release,” he added.