Pradeep Kumar left Alwar, Rajasthan, for Malaysia in search of a job, hoping to build a better future. But he is now reportedly being held in a Cambodian prison. The matter came to light when his father, Vijay Kumar Verma, received a call saying Pradeep was unwell and in police custody in Cambodia, according to Dainik Bhaskar.
Pradeep's case is among several reported instances of Indians allegedly being lured abroad with job promises and ending up trapped behind bars.
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Left For Job, Landed In Jail
Pradeep left for Malaysia on June 30, 2025, after being promised a computer-related job. An agent named Ronnie arranged his interview and flight. However, after reaching Malaysia, Pradeep's passport and visa were reportedly taken away.
On May 25, 2026, Pradeep told his family that he was being sent to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, for a chef's job at Star Line Hotel. The following day, he told his wife he was facing problems. On June 2, an unknown caller claimed Pradeep was in police custody and demanded Rs 40 lakh.
A man from Andhra Pradesh told Pradeep's family that agent Vivek Tiwari had taken 15 Indians from Malaysia to Cambodia and allegedly handed them over to a company. Police detained the group in early June. The caller was released after a few days, but Pradeep and others remained in prison. He asked that his identity be kept secret, citing concerns for his family's safety.
Family Appeals For Help
Pradeep's father, Vijay, reached Cambodia on July 12 and met his son at Sihanoukville prison two days later. According to the report, Pradeep was given only a cup of rice twice a day and pumpkin juice, and had received 18 injections. Vijay has had no contact with his son since their meeting.
The family approached the Indian Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs for help. The embassy reportedly said a case had been registered against Pradeep and that further action would be taken once the case was resolved.
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More Indians Reportedly Trapped
Pradeep's former colleague Sarthak, from Gorakhpur, said they worked in Sihanoukville for about six weeks before being moved to separate companies. Pradeep's employer allegedly withheld wages for two months. When workers protested, they were reportedly locked in a hotel.
Meanwhile, five people from Anjuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, are reportedly in a Cambodian prison. The group includes a married couple. Some had travelled to Bangkok or Vietnam for jobs before agents allegedly took them to Cambodia. Their families are reluctant to speak publicly.
The report says Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been affected. However, the government has not confirmed how many Indians are currently held in Cambodian prisons.
Thousands Of Indians Repatriated
Cambodia's Ministry of Interior said 1,921 Indians were brought back to India between September 2023 and September 13, 2026. Of these, 575 were linked to scam companies accused of targeting people in Cambodia, the US and India.
According to the report, some scam companies offer monthly salaries of around $1,000 (approximately Rs 95,000) to men and $2,500 to $4,000 (around Rs 2.37 lakh to Rs 3.8 lakh) to women. Workers may also be promised extra payments for carrying out large-scale scams.
The Indian government told the Rajya Sabha in February that 6,998 citizens were repatriated from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar between 2022 and 2025. This included 2,533 Indians from Cambodia, 2,297 from Laos and 2,168 from Myanmar.
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