Hyderabad: After being trapped in cybercrime centres in Myanmar for months, 24 youths from Telangana have finally returned to Hyderabad. The govt facilitated their repatriation in two batches—14 arrived on Tuesday and 10 on Wednesday.
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) is now recording their statements to unravel the full extent of the human trafficking racket. Upon arrival, the victims were handed over to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh police and temporarily housed in Telangana Bhavan and Andhra Bhavan in Delhi. While the Telangana group reached Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh batch, consisting of 11 individuals, will be flown to Vijayawada on Thursday morning.
Shikha Goel, director of the TGCSB, said, “We are recording their statements to understand what transpired. They were rescued from Myanmar by military authorities. An FIR will be filed, and the case will be thoroughly investigated. The victims will be sent home after we complete all formalities.”
Many victims were held captive in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, allegedly forced to participate in cyber fraud operations. After being rescued, they were processed by Myanmar immigration and escorted by military personnel. They recalled a tense moment when they were instructed to switch off their phones before departure.
Shaik Umar, one of the victims from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, expressed relief: “We are finally out of the cyber dens in Myanmar. I’m just happy to go home.”
The victims were later transported to Mae Sot, Thailand, but were denied entry by Thai immigration. They were transferred to Indian officials, flown to Ghaziabad on an IAF aircraft, and then handed over to Telangana police for their return to Hyderabad, another victim recalled. Madhukar Reddy Kokkirala, who played a big role in assisting Indian embassy officials during the rescue operation, also landed in Hyderabad.
The TGCSB is expected to probe the trafficking networks responsible for luring these individuals into cyber slavery.
