A woman from Hyderabad is asking the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to help bring her husband, Shaik Ashraf, back from a Thai jail. Ashraf, 36, was arrested by Thai authorities after being trafficked into an internet scam by a company based in Myanmar.
In August 2023, Ashraf went to Dubai to look for work. Later, he was misled by a Chinese travel agency that promised him a job in Thailand. In August 2024, he flew to Bangkok and was taken to Mae Sot, where he was forced to work on internet scams. His family says that when he refused to do this work, he was tortured in Myanmar.
After months of worry, Ashraf’s family received an email from the MEA confirming that he had been arrested by Thai police. However, the Ministry has not provided any assurance about helping rescue him.
Ashraf’s wife, Jabeen Sultana, borrowed Rs 3.5 lakh to pay the company that had kept him captive. Unfortunately, after his release, he was arrested by Thai authorities when he entered Thailand and was sent to jail.
Social worker Amjed Ullah Khan has written several letters to Indian embassies. He is urging officials to take action and bring Ashraf back to India.
