Seven Rescued From Kerala Captivity After ₹30 Lakh Canada Job Scam

Kochi police have rescued seven men from an alleged job fraud and human trafficking racket that promised employment opportunities in Canada, collected nearly ₹30 lakh from each victim , and then held them captive in a rented house near Cheranalloor. One suspect has been arrested, while authorities are searching for 10 other accused believed to be part of the network.

The victims, who hail from Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, were rescued following a confidential tip-off that led investigators to the rented accommodation. Police said the men were found in a weakened condition and had allegedly been confined for an extended period after being lured with promises of jobs and migration to Canada.

Investigators said the gang orchestrated an elaborate deception to convince families that the victims had reached Canada. Flex boards displaying images of Canadian landmarks were installed inside the house, and the victims were allegedly forced to record videos claiming they had safely arrived overseas. Those videos were then sent to relatives, helping the accused extract additional money. Most of the victims had studied only up to Class 8, making them particularly vulnerable to the scam.

The case surfaced after one victim escaped and alerted authorities. Police later arrested Abdul Rahim , a resident of Siliguri in West Bengal, near Ernakulam South Railway Station. Officers recovered the victims' passports, mobile phones and around ₹1 lakh in cash from his possession.

Rahim has been remanded to judicial custody. Investigators suspect the gang may have carried out similar job frauds in other states and are coordinating with law enforcement agencies across India to identify additional victims and uncover the full extent of the interstate racket. The operation was carried out under the direction of Ernakulam Central ACP Premanand Krishnan, with Cheranalloor police leading the investigation.