MARGAO: The Maina-Curtorim police have registered an offence against a woman identified only as Hazel from Old Market, Margao, for cheating, after she recruited a Curtorim local for a job in Thailand, which turned out to be a scam - the victim ended up working at a fake company, and is reportedly still stuck abroad. PSI Prashant Bhagat has booked the woman under Sections 370, 370(1), and 420 of the IPC and Section 10 of the Emigration Act, 1983, based on a complaint from the victim’s wife.
According to the Maina-Curtorim police, the accused introduced herself to the Curtorim resident as an overseas recruiting agent and induced him to take up a job as a Data Entry Operator in an international company in Thailand.
However, police stated that the accused failed to fulfil her promise. The agent in Thailand deceptively transported the complainant’s husband to the Myanmar border and then to an unidentified place. There, he was physically and mentally exploited and forced to work in a fake bitcoin company along with other Indians and foreigners. The complainant alleged that her husband was trafficked and cheated. The police said Hazel was not registered as a recruiting agent as required by the Emigration Act, 1983.
On Tuesday, two similar cases came to light – Goans had travelled to Thailand and Cambodia on promises of high-paying jobs but ended up working for a network of cyber fraudsters, forced to scam unsuspecting people into trading fake cryptocurrency. However, they managed to return home.
The Goa Crime Branch had arrested two Karnataka natives for recruiting these Goans. “Those engaged in cybercrimes in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam are advised to return immediately. Failure to do so will result in legal action initiated by the Goa Police. We are collecting information on Goans overstaying in these countries,” said the police.