Hyderabad: Twelve victims who went to Iraq for employment have been subjected to harassment and forced labour without pay.

According to the victims, they were initially paid for their work on time for the first three months, however, later the payments stopped. Upon questioning, the owner's son threatened to shoot them and kept forcing them into labour. They were later held in captivity.

Narrating the ordeal, Ganga Srinivas shared that he came to Basra city, Iraq in the month of April last year to work in a fiberglass boat manufacturing company under the contract company named Al Maysoora Trading. Revealing that they have not been paid since October, he added that they requested their owner on several occasions to clear their payments but when there was no response, they stopped working on February 23.

Following this, the owner assured to clear their dues but his son Ali instead held the victims at gunpoint, terrorizing them with weapons to work due to which they are scared to raise an objection again.

12 persons from Telangana are at present held in captivity and don't have the money to travel back. Also, visas of four of them will expire on March 11, 2019, with the other eight persons' visas are to expire in June. They are now, seeking support from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Another victim hailing from Armoor in Nizamabad district, Chakali Rajeshwar, stuck in Iraq revealed that they don't have money to buy food, send money back home to pay the loan installments or pay children's school fees.

He further said that they are working in slaughterhouses and cold storages with no hope.

Also Read: Illegal Immigrants In Iraq Make Their Way Back Home To Telangana