As many as 21 youth from the city, who were allegedly cheated by an unscrupulous recruiting agent, were rescued from Abu Dhabi due to the timely action and intervention by the City Police.
L.D. Prasad, agent of Vesco Robotec Welding Institute of Autonagar, allegedly lured 50 unemployed youth from the city, promising to secure jobs for them in the Korean company Hyundai at various locations in the Gulf.
He reportedly collected between ₹65,000 and ₹80,000 from each of the candidates and gave them appointment orders in the name of Hyundai company. The agent sent the youth to Abu Dhabi on April 3, 5, 6 and 8.
The candidates were received by the supply company Horizon International Recruitments at Abu Dhabi. Later, they came to know through the Horizon International management that they were recruited to work as ‘helpers’ to undertake construction works and realised the agent in Vizag had cheated them.
They called the agent on phone but the latter asked them to work in whichever company they were allotted and promised to take them back to India in three to six months and cut the line.
They were also paid lesser salaries than that promised by the agent.
When the candidates expressed their desire to return to India their agency in Abu Dhabi told them that they had spent a huge amount on bringing them from India and refused to allow them to go back.
Complaint
The victims approached the Indian Embassy officials for justice but they did not get any help. They lodged a complaint with the Visakhapatnam City Police through Twitter on May 11.
The City Police responded promptly, took their details and made all out efforts to bring them back to India by coordinating with the company officials there on behalf of the victims.
Ordeal
The victims were sent back to India in groups on May 25, 26 and June 1.
The victims said 12 of them were kept in a small room and another 10 were accommodated in another room and had to suffer without food sometimes.
Police Commissioner T. Yoganand cautioned unemployed youth to make proper enquiries to avoid falling a prey to unscrupulous agents.
