Ahmedabad: A 22-year-old man from Nadiad and his friend were stranded in Dubai without passports after falling victim to a job scam, losing ₹2.74 lakh to fraudsters who promised overseas employment.

In a complaint to the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), Smitrajsinh Zala said he saw a social media advertisement in July 2025 offering Dubai jobs with salaries of AED 3,500–5,500 and added benefits. He and his friend later visited an office in Navrangpura, where the accused posed as a company manager.

The accused allegedly promised a two-year work visa, collected their passports, and took payments in instalments after showing fake visa documents and flight tickets.

The duo travelled to Dubai in September 2025, where another person received them and seized their passports. They were allegedly forced to sign new agreements but were not given jobs, accommodation, or food.

After facing threats and receiving no response from the accused, they approached the Indian Embassy, which found the company was not registered with the Ministry of External Affairs. The two later returned to India in November using emergency travel documents.

A case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered by the DCB under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is underway. DeshGujarat