The victims, most of whom hailed from Gajuwaka, reached out to the police on Twitter, following which they received immediate help.

As many as 22 people were rescued by the Visakhapatnam city police after they were duped by a job agency and stranded in Abu Dhabi.

The victims, most of whom hailed from Gajuwaka, reached out to the police on Twitter, following which they received immediate help. 

In a press release, the police said that L D Prasad, agent of Vesco Robotec Welding Institute of Autonagar allegedly promised 50 unemployed youth from the city that he would secure employment for them at various locations in the Gulf.

For this, the agent sought amounts ranging from Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000 from each of the victims. 

“The agent promised to provide employment at Hyundai, but when we reached Abu Dhabi on April 3, we were told that we are workers of some other company. The agents told them that the company where they were supposed to work is a sub-contract company of Hyundai,” One of the victims, Lakshmana Rao, told reporters.

When the workers protested and asked to be sent back, the company refused, citing a huge amount that it had spent on the victims. 

According to reports, the victims alleged that they were treated inhumanely, with 12 of them confined to a small room, while 10 others were cramped into another small room. They also posted a video on the conditions that they were living in.

City Police Commissioner T Yoganand, who was notified of the incident, immediately made efforts to ensure that all the victims were brought back safely.

Speaking to reporters, Yoganand informed the public that the Gajuwaka police were booking cases against the company in question and assured strict action against the accused. 

He also urged unemployed youth not to fall prey to such agents and ensure that they make proper enquiries before taking up any job offer. 

SOURCE : THENEWSMINUTE