Punjab Men Missing in Iran After Failed Job Attempt in Australia
Missing Punjab Men Linked to Job Scam
Three individuals from Punjab, who had plans to travel to Australia for employment in April, have reportedly gone missing in Iran, according to recent reports.
The families of the missing men claim they were kidnapped by a group of agents operating from Pakistan, who are demanding a ransom of Rs 18 lakh each.
The missing individuals are identified as Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Hushanpreet Singh from Sangrur, and Jaspal Singh from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
Until May 17, the men maintained contact with their families via video calls. Jaspal's brother, Ashok Kumar, recounted that Jaspal was taken to Dubai on April 1 and held there for a month. Amritpal and Hushanpreet arrived in Dubai on April 25, and all three were subsequently transported to Tehran on May 1.
Kumar mentioned that upon arrival, they were taken to a location where they were forced to strip. “They made video calls to us, revealing they had been kidnapped and were instructed to transfer Rs 18 lakh each to bank accounts in Pakistan,” he stated.
The Indian Embassy in Tehran has expressed its commitment to addressing the situation with Iranian officials and is actively working to locate the missing men. They have assured the families that they will be kept informed of any developments.
— India in Iran (@India_in_Iran) May 28, 2025
Gurdip Kaur, Amritpal’s mother, filed a police complaint alleging that her son was promised a job in Australia by Dheeraj Atwal and his brother Kamal Atwal, both travel agents based in Hoshiarpur.
Amritpal's family attempted to contact the agents for assistance, but they had reportedly fled and turned off their phones.
The police have initiated legal action against the Atwal brothers under various sections related to human trafficking and fraud, as well as the Punjab Travel Professional Regulation Act.
Authorities allege that the brothers collected Rs 18 lakh from Amritpal, promising to facilitate his travel to Australia via Iran using a convoluted route designed to evade border checks.
Husanpreet’s cousin, Manpreet, shared that Husanpreet was the sole breadwinner for his family. “He worked as a driver, and all relatives contributed financially to support his journey abroad,” Manpreet explained.