By Am Ist,Apurwa Amit

Copyright dnaindia

India has issued a travel advisory for Iran, urging the utmost caution for those seeking employment opportunities in the Islamic Republic, following reports of Indian tourists being lured to the country and subsequently kidnapped by criminal gangs.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said there have been several recent instances of Indian citizens being enticed to travel to Iran under false pretenses of employment, or with guarantees of onward travel to third countries for work.

MEA cautioned citizens not to fall into such traps and exercise “strictest vigilance.”

MAE’s new advisory for those who are planning to go Iran

“There have been a number of recent cases involving Indian citizens who have been lured to travel to Iran on false promises of employment, or with assurances that they would be sent further to third-countries for employment. Upon reaching Iran, these Indian nationals have been kidnapped by criminal gangs and ransoms have been demanded from their families for securing their release,” MEA said in a statement.

The MEA warned Indians not to fall prey to such employment promises and maintain strict vigilance while travelling to the country. “All Indian citizens are strongly cautioned to exercise the strictest vigilance regarding such employment promises or offers.”

“In this context, all Indian citizens are strongly cautioned to exercise the strictest vigilance regarding such employment promises or offers. In particular, it may be noted that the Government of Iran allows visa-free entry to Indians only for tourism purposes. Any agents promising visa-free entry into Iran for employment or other purposes may well be in connivance with criminal gangs. Indian citizens are therefore advised not to fall prey to such offers,” MEA further cautioned.

A recent report by the Times of India detailed the case of a 26-year-old man from Delhi who was lured to Iran under the guise of employment and was allegedly kidnapped and tortured by a criminal gang. The victim, identified as Himanshu Mathur, was held captive for a week before being released after his family paid a ransom of Rs 20 lakh.

Mathur was promised a job on a ship after completing a ‘Continuous Discharge Certificate course’, which would supposedly lead to an American work visa. However, upon arriving in Tehran, he was abducted and held in a secluded location. He was reportedly subjected to beatings with metal pipes and threatened with death if the ransom was not paid.