Scores of Pakistanis lured with job promises taken hostage in Cambodia

KARACHI: Scores of Pakistanis, hooked with attractive jobs promises into Cambodia, have been taken hostages and tortured.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Karachi Director Nauman Siddiqui said scammers advertise lucrative call centres, IT and engineering jobs in Cambodia via social media platforms.

Indian agents, particularly in some Middle Eastern nations, are targeting Pakistani youth, offering employment for $1,000 to $2,000.

FIA sources revealed that recruitment is also taking place in Lahore and Karachi. In recent weeks, over 20 Pakistanis, including a woman, have been deported from Cambodia with emergency travel documents.

Karachi’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC) has registered two cases and initiated 14 inquiries based on testimonies from the deported individuals.

AHTC Karachi SHO Sohail Mehmood Sheikh said that upon arrival in Cambodia, victims have their passports confiscated and are forced into illegal work, including fraudulent call centres and forced labour in remote areas.

Many victims have managed to escape and seek assistance from the Pakistani embassy, leading to their repatriation. Following complaints from the Pakistani mission, Cambodian authorities launched an operation two weeks ago, rescuing over 100 Pakistanis from these centres.

However, a significant number remain stranded in remote regions, reportedly held hostage and forced into labour. Sources indicate that most victims belong to Punjab.

FIA officials confirmed that some foreign nationals based in Karachi and Lahore are suspected of involvement in this network and are currently under investigation.