A Kashmiri youth has been held hostage for ransom in Myanmar. His case highlights a worrying trend where Kashmiri youth, often in search of better job opportunities, fall prey to fraudulent employment offers abroad. The victim is identifed ad Faizan Rasool from Safakadal, Srinagar.
In recent months, several reports have emerged of young men from Kashmir and other parts of India being deceived into traveling to countries like Myanmar and Cambodia under false promises of high-paying jobs, only to be forced into illegal activities or held for ransom by organized trafficking networks.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), which had sought urgent diplomatic intervention in Faizan’s case. National Convenor of JKSA, Nasir Khuehami, confirmed that the MEA has assured them that the Indian Mission in Myanmar has strongly taken up the matter with the concerned authorities, including the specific case of Faizan.
In its official response, the MEA stated, “Requests for the rescue and repatriation of all Indian nationals, including Kashmiri youth Faizan Rasool, entrapped in Myawaddy, have been forwarded to the concerned authorities in Myanmar. We are actively working on it.”
The Ministry also reiterated the need for individuals to exercise extreme caution when seeking jobs abroad, urging them to verify employment opportunities through proper government channels to avoid falling victim to such scams.
Earlier, JKSA had written to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to secure Faizan’s release. According to the association, he was lured to Myanmar under the pretense of a job and is now being held for a ransom of ₹4.5 lakh.
Welcoming the MEA’s swift response, Khuehami stressed the urgency of the situation. “While we appreciate the Ministry’s prompt action, we have urged them to pursue this case with greater urgency. Faizan Rasool’s life is at immediate risk. His family is in distress, and they cannot afford the ransom being demanded by the traffickers. Immediate diplomatic intervention is necessary to bring him home safely,” he said.
The JKSA has also urged the Government of India to launch awareness campaigns and take stringent measures against trafficking networks operating both within India and internationally to prevent more innocent youth from falling victim to such deceptive job scams.
