Hyderabad: A Hyderabad-based man, Shaik Ashraf, 36, has been languishing in a Thai prison after being reportedly trafficked to Myanmar to carry out internet scams.
According to the victim’s family, Ashraf had travelled to Dubai in search of a job in August 2023. There, he was allegedly lured by a Chinese travel agency promising him an IT job in Thailand.
In August 2024, he flew from Dubai to Bangkok and was taken to Mae Sot City by another agent. The man’s wife Jabeen Sultana claimed that he was then transported by boat to an undisclosed location and forced to carry out internet scams.
After six months, Ashraf reportedly attempted to escape the situation but was physically tortured in Myanmar when he refused to cooperate. His family claims that the company demanded a ransom of USD 5,000 for his release.
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With no support from the Union government, the Hyderabad man’s wife, Jabeen, borrowed Rs 3.5 lakh to pay the company for his release. However, after his release from Myanmar and upon entering Thailand, he was arrested and sent to jail.
The issue came to light after Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan wrote to external affairs minister S Jaishankar urging the government to intervene and assist in Ashraf’s release.
Amjed Ullah alleged that, three months after his appeal to the ministry of external affairs, he received an email informing him of the Hyderabad man’s detention by Thai police, but no further assurance was given regarding his rescue. “Kindly ask the Indian Embassy in Thailand to rescue him and bring him back home as soon as possible,” he said in a post on X.
