Pune: A 34-year-old business administration graduate from Pune, identified only as Sahil, has described how he escaped after two months in captivity in Myanmar, where he said he was tortured and forced to work in scam compounds run by human trafficking networks near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Two Months in Captivity
According to the report, Sahil had prepared himself for a fight after spending two months in captivity. A day before his escape attempt, he had punched one of his captors in the face and expected retaliation. He said the beating that followed lasted eight days.
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“They hung me upside down, hit me and starved me. Every two days, I was given some rice and fish balls to eat. That was all. I think they drugged me to stop my screams. But I refused to cheat people,” Sahil said.
The report said Sahil was among a batch of Indians airlifted from Myanmar in January by the Indian Air Force. They were described as victims of human trafficking rings that forced people to work in scam compounds.
Scam Compounds Along Border
The compounds were described as town-sized settlements on the lightly policed Thailand-Myanmar border, from where gangs run sophisticated online frauds, including digital arrests and crypto cons.
Sahil, who requested that only his first name be used, said he wanted people to hear his story. “People should know such places exist, from where you may never leave. Do not click on something online that feels too good to be true,” he said.
The report also cited the United Nations as saying last year that Myanmar’s scam compounds generate nearly $40 billion in annual profits.
Instagram Job Ad Led to Trap
Sahil was trapped through an Instagram advertisement offering a job at a “luxury hotel in Thailand” for $4,000 a month, or about ₹3,70,000.
The screenshots do not show further details of how he travelled or escaped, but the available account links the case to a wider pattern of job-ad traps, trafficking and forced participation in online fraud operations.
The account highlights the risks of online job offers that appear unusually lucrative, especially when they involve overseas employment and are promoted through social media platforms.
