TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has called on the Centre to rescue Telugu youth stranded in Cambodia. “It’s alarming that Andhra Pradesh has become a hub for human trafficking,” he stated in a former Twitter post. He urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to facilitate the return of 150 individuals. These youths were illegally transported to Cambodia under the pretense of job opportunities and subsequently forced into cybercrime. Naidu demanded strict action against fraudulent agents exploiting the youth. Many graduates in the state are despairing over the lack of employment, falling prey to scams promising high salaries and jobs abroad.
Around 5,000 youths nationwide are believed to be trapped by cyber criminals in Cambodia, including 150 from Andhra Pradesh. The agents who took these unemployed individuals to Cambodia handed them over to cyber criminals, where they are held captive, tortured, and coerced into committing cyber crimes. Investigations revealed that non-compliance resulted in confinement in dark rooms without food or water and subjected to severe torture. Naidu requested urgent action from the Centre to repatriate the victims promptly.