‘Trafficked’ from Thailand to Laos, two Gujarat sisters return home 18 months later

3 min readVadodaraUpdated: Jun 13, 2026 11:05 PM IST

Before their rescue, at least one of the two women was confined in a space that resembled a "3x3 kennel" for days together, the sources said, adding that the two were also subjected to physical torture. (File)

In December 2024, two sisters from Anand district left home for Thailand, believing they were headed for their first employment abroad. The two women, both in their early 20s, returned home 18 months later on Friday after they were rescued by police in the Houaphan Province of Laos.

Police there had acted on an urgent diplomatic intervention by the Indian Embassy, official sources said.

From Thailand, the two were reportedly taken to Myanmar against their will and held hostage for about a year. They were then sent to Laos via Cambodia.

Their safe return to Anand this week marked the conclusion of “Operation Mahisagar 2.0”—a crackdown against human trafficking to rescue residents of Anand held hostage abroad.

The two sisters were “traumatised and silent”, family members said.

Meanwhile, Anand BJP MP Mitesh Patel, who had requested the Indian Embassy in Laos to rescue the women, said, “The two sisters left for Thailand on December 4, 2024. After landing, they were picked up by a company vehicle and sent across the border to Myanmar without their informed consent. They were held there for about a year… They were subsequently moved to Cambodia, and later to Laos.”

According to the sources, the two women “knew immediately” that they had been trapped but “did not share the news with their parents” in the hope that they would be able to eventually escape and return.

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“The women did not want to cause anxiety among their families, but the torture increased with each passing day,” they added.

One of the two women was subjected to physical assault apart from being confined in tiny cage-like spaces along with several other foreign nationals, according to her family. In their last “free communication”, the sisters texted their family stating that they were in Vientiane, Laos, and urged the relatives to search for them if they ever stopped hearing from them.

It was this message that rang a distress signal in Anand. The family reported to local authorities that the sisters were being subjected to harassment and torture by people associated with the company that had taken them to Thailand.

Patel took up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs, formally requesting emergency consular assistance, coordination with Lao law enforcement, and, if necessary, flagging the case with Interpol and anti-trafficking units.

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In a written communication to the MP’s office on June 4, the Indian Embassy confirmed that both girls had been rescued by the Lao police from the Houaphan Province. “With persistent follow-up and close coordination with Lao authorities, both women were rescued from the Houaphan Province,” the Embassy had stated.

The women were first brought to Vientiane for official formalities before being repatriated to India. On Friday, MP Patel visited their residence and inquired after the women.

“From the moment this matter came to my attention, we remained in constant contact with the MEA. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Ministry and the Indian Embassy in Laos worked on a war footing. Safety of every citizen of my constituency is important,” Patel said.

Earlier, Patel’s office had intervened in rescuing two Anand residents who had been stranded in Azerbaijan while attempting to reach the United States through the ‘dunki’ route.

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Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

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