Islamabad (Pakistan News): Criminal elements and human trafficking networks that lure citizens with attractive overseas job offers have been found to be active.
Experts have warned citizens to conduct complete verification and exercise caution before travelling to Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia due to promises of unusually high salaries and easy employment opportunities, as organized criminal groups are targeting Pakistanis.
According to sources, citizens are initially sent to Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia on visit visas, where they are later involved in illegal activities. Recent data shows that 3,313 Pakistanis who travelled to Cambodia have not returned.
Sources said that individuals travelling abroad in the name of employment have reportedly been forced to work at cyber fraud centers established in Cambodia. These centers are allegedly used to carry out online fraud activities worldwide.
According to statistics, 13,039 Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia in 2024, out of whom 1,190 did not return. Similarly, in 2025, 11,488 Pakistanis went to Cambodia, while 1,933 did not return home. In 2026, 395 people travelled to Cambodia, and 189 of them could not return.
Sources stated that over the last three years, approximately 13.29 percent of the total Pakistanis who travelled to Cambodia did not return.
Experts have urged citizens to use only registered and legal channels for overseas employment to protect themselves from human trafficking and criminal networks.