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The MEA said there have been several cases involving Indian citizens lured to travel to Iran on false promises of employment and kidnapped by criminal gangs.
The MEA warned travellers to not be lured by job offers, highlighting that Iran offers visa free travel only for tourism. (Representative Image)
India issued a travel advisory for Iran, warning them to exercise the strictest vigilance while travelling to the Islamic Republic to get employment opportunities after several Indian tourists were lured to travel to the country and were kidnapped by criminal gangs.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 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.
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“Upon reaching Iran, these Indian nationals have been kidnapped by criminal gangs and ransoms have been demanded from their families for securing their release,” it said.
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 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,” the ministry further warned.
Earlier, a report by the Times of India came to light, where a 26-year-old man from Delhi was lured to travel to Iran on the pretext of a job, and was allegedly kidnapped and tortured by a gang. The victim, identified as Himanshu Mathur, was held captive for a week before being freed after his family paid Rs 20 lakh as ransom.
Mathur was told he would be given a job on a ship after completing a ‘Continuous Discharge Certificate course’, which would eventually get him an American work visa. However, after he flew to Tehran, he was abducted and held in a remote house. He was reportedly thrashed with metal pipes and threatened with death if the ransom was not paid.
In May, the Iranian Embassy in India said it was investigating the case of three Indian nationals who went missing in Tehran under similar circumstances. The men, all belonging to Punjab, were on a stopover in Iran and were on their way to Australia, where they were promised lucrative jobs, as per the BBC.
Their families alleged that the trio were kidnapped by unknown men, who were demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The Iranian embassy also strongly advised Indian citizens not to be deceived by the promises of unauthorised individuals or illegal Indian agencies offering travel to other countries.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
September 19, 2025, 21:47 IST
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