New Delhi, March 12: The Government of India has successfully repatriated 266 Indian nationals who were released from cybercrime centres in Southeast Asia, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft facilitated their safe return.

Taking to social media platform X, the MEA stated, “Government of India arranged for the safe repatriation of 266 Indians yesterday by an IAF aircraft, who were released from cybercrime centres in South East Asia.”

The ministry also highlighted the efforts of Indian embassies, which worked closely with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand to ensure the safe return of the affected individuals.

This repatriation follows a similar operation on Monday when 283 Indians were brought back from Myanmar. These individuals had been lured to Southeast Asian countries with fraudulent job offers and were subsequently forced into cybercrime and other fraudulent activities at scam centres along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

A press release issued by the MEA emphasised the tireless efforts of Indian embassies in Myanmar and Thailand, which coordinated with local authorities to secure the release of those trapped.

The special IAF aircraft deployed on Monday brought back 283 nationals from Mae Sot, Thailand, marking another significant step in India’s ongoing battle against human trafficking and cybercrime rackets in the region.

Reiterating its advisories, the MEA urged Indian citizens to exercise caution regarding fraudulent job offers. The ministry stressed the importance of verifying foreign employers’ credentials through Indian missions abroad and thoroughly checking recruiting agents and companies before accepting overseas job opportunities.

The Indian government has frequently cautioned its citizens about the dangers of falling prey to unsolicited job offers from unknown sources, as many of these scams have led to individuals being exploited and forced into illegal activities.

The recent repatriation was made possible through collaboration between Indian authorities, Myanmar’s Union authorities, and local groups operating in the Myawaddy area of Myanmar, where several victims had been detained.

The Indian Embassy in Myanmar also acknowledged the success of the operation in a post on X, stating, “In coordination with Myanmar’s Union authorities and local groups, 283 Indian nationals at scam compounds in Myawaddy area of Myanmar were released and repatriated yesterday through Mae Sot in Thailand. Strongly reiterate our advice against such job offers.”

Earlier, on February 11, eight more Indian nationals were deported from Myawaddy scam centres to Mae Sot, Thailand, as part of a larger group of 19 foreigners. At the time, the Indian Embassy in Myanmar had confirmed that 133 Indian nationals had been released. “We reaffirm our warning against job offers in this area,” the embassy stated.

With these recent operations, the Indian government continues its proactive efforts to combat human trafficking and protect its citizens from fraudulent overseas job schemes.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has claimed to have solved the kidnapping of a one and a half month old child. Mumbai’s Vinrai Police has busted a child-stealing gang and claimed to have arrested four accused in this case. The arrests were made from Maloni area, which includes two women and two men. The plan was to kidnap the one and a half month old child and sell him for five lakh rupees. On March 2, at 4 am, a one and a half month old child suddenly disappeared while playing at a bus stop in the limits of Vinrai Police Station in Goregaon area of ​​Mumbai.

Vinrai Police registered a case and started investigation and six police teams were formed under the leadership of DCP Zone 12 Smita Patil. The police searched about 11 thousand auto rickshaws, in which a yellow rickshaw was found suspicious, which was going towards Maloni. When the police investigated the auto rickshaw, it was found that a small child had come to the rickshaw driver’s house. When the police investigated, it was found that the accused was Raju More.

He has two wives, the first of which is Mangal More and the second is Fatima Sheikh. Mangal More has no children and he did not have any child here either. His wife wanted to adopt a child. A lot of money is needed to adopt a child, so Raju planned to steal the child on the road. Fatima Sheikh, wife of accused Raju More, promised to give the stolen child for Rs 5 lakh, after which the accused Raju More observed the child on the Vinrai Eastern Express Highway for 3 days before stealing it. Then the child was stolen.

The resting family stole the child from the autorickshaw and the accused fled. The victim family is from Gujarat and had come to Mumbai to sell toys and balloons during Ramadan and at the time of the theft incident, the two and a half month old child was sleeping with his mother.

Dhaka, March 11: Amid ongoing protest movements in Bangladesh against gender-based violence, another six children were raped in six districts, according to local media reports on Tuesday.

At least seven people were arrested on Monday on charges of rape in six districts.

These cases of sexual violence were reported from across several districts of Bangladesh. The children who were sexually assaulted are all aged from six to fourteen. Among one of the incidents, a teenage girl who was a victim of sexual assault died by suicide after being falsely accused and vilified during a local arbitration meeting, reports the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star.

These rising incidents of sexual assault, despite the demonstrations by the people against the rising incidence of violence against women, exposed the further deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has recently been gripped with protest marches against the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Women in Bangladesh took to the streets demanding justice for rape, stricter punishment for offenders, and the resignation of Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

Students and teachers from different universities across the country also demonstrated against the recent rape incidents, including that of an eight-year-old in Magura who is currently fighting for her life, and demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the crime, local media in Bangladesh reported.

During the demonstrations, Dhaka University Professor Tasneem Siraj Mahboob called for the dismissal of the Home Affairs Advisor instead of his resignation, emphasising that she had demanded this months ago.

“Resignation is an honourable exit. He doesn’t deserve that honour,” she was quoted as saying by the country’s leading daily, The Dhaka Tribune.

The various political outfits that earlier joined hands to overthrow the democratically elected government of Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina have criticised the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for the failing law and order situation and the rising incidence of violence against women across Bangladesh.

Addressing a rally on Monday, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Senior Joint Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that the rise in incidents of rape and violence against women in the country is due to the present administration’s inaction, according to a report by United News of Bangladesh.

“Why is this situation arising under the current interim government? If the administration had functioned properly, incidents of rape, murder, injuries, and corruption would not have escalated,” he said.

Rizvi said that the reality now is that the number of rape incidents has increased, and women are not safe anywhere in the country.

Addressing the media on Sunday, the radical outfit Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar told The Dhaka Tribune, “Women and children are not safe anywhere today — be it on buses, trains, launches, offices, homes, schools, or madrasas. The situation in the country is much worse than what is reflected in newspapers and the media.”

Several cases of violence against women have been reported from across Bangladesh since the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime came to power in August 2024. The incompetence of the interim government in curbing gender-based violence sparked public outrage, with students demanding the resignation of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and the interim government accountable for degrading the law and order situation across the nation.