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VASCO: Five members of an interstate recruitment agency were detained at the Vasco police station on Monday for allegedly duping at least 70 youth of an estimated Rs 70 lakh, after assuring to provide jobs in Malaysia.
The agents were exposed only when some jobseekers landed up in Malaysia and realized that they has been duped and had to struggle to live in the country.
Speaking to Herald, Manuel Fernandes from Margao said five agents, one from Carmona, two from Vasco, one each from Chennai and Kolhapur collected Rs 1 lakh from his relative after assuring him a job in Malaysia for a salary of Rs 25,000, (Rs 30,000 with overtime) along with food and accommodation.
“About 30 people left for Malaysia, but they had to go without food at the airport for two days,” informed Fernandes.
“To make matters worse, the agent in Malaysia informed the jobseekers that they would be paid Rs 16,000, instead of Rs 25,000, while Rs 8,000 would be deducted for food and accommodation, leaving them with a paltry Rs 7,000,” added Fernandes.
Left high and dry, the relative informed Fernandes and others about their plight in Malaysia.
“When we got information from our relatives, we went and confronted the Goa agent at his Margao office. The agent informed that he had other agents in Vasco and accordingly, some friends and I went to Vasco and questioned them over the issue,” Fernandes added.
As news spread that some people had gathered around the fake agents and were taking them to the Vasco police station, relatives of others who were also duped rushed and manhandled the agents outside the police station.
A woman from Margao told Herald that she had to beg with her relatives to send her husband to Malaysia, while another woman complained that she had to sell all her gold ornaments to collect the amount to secure the job for her husband.
When asked whether they had verified the registration certificates of the agents before paying the huge amount, the relatives said they had relied on the agents in good faith since their relatives were in badly in need of jobs.
In the meantime, four jobseekers who were supposed to fly to Malaysia on March 14 also rushed to the site and demanded a refund of their money and the return of their passports.
While the ruckus was going on outside Vasco Police station, people were, however, reluctant to lodge a complaint with Vasco Police.
“If we were to file a police complaint, the accused would have been arrested and quickly released on bail. They could then easily harass our loved ones who are stuck in Malaysia. Instead, we are more concerned about the safe return of our loved ones,” said a concerned relative.
Incidentally, a politician has intervened in the matter and is trying to work out ways to ensure the return of the jobseekers from Malaysia.
