Bhai, bahut dar lag raha hai…pata nahi zinda bachenge ki nahin… aap article me mera naam mat dalna, nahin toh mujhe goli maar denge… kuch karo, bacha lo bhai.” This desperate plea to mid-day came from a Mumbai man who is among at least 500 Indians held captive on the Myanmar-Thailand border and forced to commit cybercrimes on the orders of their Chinese captors. The victims have pleaded to the government to rescue them.

Reminiscent of labour camps of the past century, the victims, mostly from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, talked of the unspeakable torture that they are subjected to every now and then by human traffickers. Often, the victims are forced to coax other Indians to take up the “fantastic” job offers. mid-day has chosen not to publish their identities to ensure their safety is not compromised.