‘No illegal overseas job agencies active in Goa’
Panaji: Eighteen FIRs were registered in recruitment frauds in the last two years, the Goa Police on Monday said, adding that there are no active illegal overseas recruitment agencies operating in the state.
Giving details of the cases, crime branch SP Rahul Gupta said, “Since January 2024, the Goa Police registered 18 FIRs related to recruitment frauds. Ten accused were arrested and chargesheets have been filed in eight cases.”
The police said they will continuously maintain vigilance and gather intelligence on any suspected recruitment activity.
Last month the crime branch conducted a statewide inquiry into the functioning of recruitment agencies operating in Goa with specific focus on employment in South-East Asian countries.
“The inquiry was carried out by beat officers of all subdivisions who conducted field verification, checked office locations, interacted with local sources and examined the nature of recruitment activities,” Gupta said.
The police found that registered and known recruitment agencies currently operating are not engaged in recruiting candidates for South-East Asian countries.
Their operational details and recruitment profiles have been verified and recorded. The inquiry was conducted to prevent the ‘cyber slavery’ of Goans in South-East Asian countries, the senior police officer said.
Simultaneously, verification was conducted regarding suspected illegal recruitment agencies and individuals.
“In majority of the cases, the addresses were found to be incorrect or non-existent; offices were closed or no recruitment activity was found to be carried out at the given locations. Furthermore, most contact numbers were either switched off, unreachable or unrelated to recruitment activities.”
“Some individuals when contacted clarified that they are not presently involved in overseas recruitment,” Gupta said.
The crime branch SP said, “No active illegal recruitment operation has come to light during the inquiry. However, given the sensitivity of overseas employment and the risk of exploitation, beat staff have been directed to maintain continuous vigilance and intelligence gathering on any suspected recruitment activity.”
