The Tamil Nadu government on Sunday appealed to youth seeking employment abroad, particularly in South East Asian countries, to thoroughly verify the antecedents of recruitment agents and companies before applying for a job. The advisory was issued in the wake of rescue of 83 Tamil youths from Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, where they were taken on tourist visas under the pretext of providing jobs in the IT sector and later were forced to engage in 'illegal online activities.' Citing reports of Indian nationals being lured by unregistered agents with high paying jobs in Laos, the Non- Resident Tamil's Welfare department in an official release on Sunday said the candidates were taken illegally across the border into Laos from Thailand and were held captive to work under 'harsh and restrictive conditions.' At times, they were held hostage by criminal syndicates involved in illegal activities, and forced to work in strenuous conditions and subjected to "physical and mental torture."

Source- Canva