A 29-year-old man from Defence Enclave in Meerut’s Kankerkhera area was allegedly lured with a lucrative job offer in Thailand and subsequently trafficked to Myanmar, where he was held hostage for four months.
The victim, Ashish Kumar, was rescued after a raid by the Myanmar Army and returned home on November 18 with assistance from the Indian Embassy.
According to the FIR lodged on Wednesday, Ashish named Uttarakhand resident Keshav, Denny alias Shivam, Mumbai-based Asad and several unidentified Chinese and foreign nationals as the accused. Police have begun an in-depth investigation into the international trafficking and cyber-fraud network.
Ashish, whose father, Balendra Kumar is an Army veteran and currently an SSO in the electricity department, completed his MBA from London and was working in a Noida-based company in May 2025. It was during this period that he came in contact with Keshav, who claimed he could secure a job for him in a Thailand firm.
On May 20, the accused took an online interview through a Telegram channel. Believing the offer to be genuine, Ashish left for Bangkok on June 1. Upon arrival, a taxi driver took him to a seaside location. From there, he was transported by boat to a company facility in Myanmar, where he met Asad.
{{/usCountry}}On May 20, the accused took an online interview through a Telegram channel. Believing the offer to be genuine, Ashish left for Bangkok on June 1. Upon arrival, a taxi driver took him to a seaside location. From there, he was transported by boat to a company facility in Myanmar, where he met Asad.
{{/usCountry}}The FIR states that the accused confiscated Ashish’s passport and belongings. When he protested, he was confined inside the company premises and deprived of proper food. Meanwhile, the traffickers created fake Facebook accounts in his name and used them for cyber fraud activities.
After Ashish failed to communicate with his family for a week, his relatives contacted the Indian Embassy. The Embassy raised the matter with the Myanmar authorities, leading to a Myanmar Army raid on October 20. Ashish was rescued during this operation and later sent back to India.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vipin Tada confirmed that a case has been registered and an extensive investigation is underway. “We will coordinate with Noida Police, Mumbai Police and the Myanmar Embassy. Strict action will be taken against all accused involved,” he said.
Police are now examining the broader network behind the trafficking operation, believed to involve foreign nationals running cyber-fraud syndicates in Myanmar.