‘Trapped’ by fake travel agents, dozen Punjab youths ‘stranded’ in Armenia send video SOS

Speaking in Punjabi, one of the youths in the video recounts their ordeal, stating they were deceived and trapped on false promise of work opportunities abroad by fake travel agents.

“We have been kept in Armavir jail and are threatened with prison sentences of three to six years. We were coerced into signing documents we couldn’t even comprehend, as we are unfamiliar with the language. We are also not getting proper food in this Asian country. We are around 10-15 youths.”

The youth, however, could not give the details of their whereabouts in India in the brief video clip that has gone viral.

When this video was brought to the attention of MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, he promptly wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy there (Armenia), urging swift identification of and assistance for these stranded youths.

Also, he shared the clip on his social media platforms, appealing to the public to help locate the families of these youths.

“These fake travel agents are preying on the dreams and vulnerabilities of our youth,” Seechewal said, urging the government to crack down on such exploitative practices to prevent such incidents in future.