A desperate search for a better life turned into a deadly nightmare for an Indian man, caught in a job scam and shot at the Israel-Jordan border.
A promised fortune turned into a tragic death for Thomas Gabriel Perera, who fell victim to a job scam that lured him to the Israel-Jordan border, where he was shot dead. Perera, 47, and his brother-in-law, Edison Charlas, were approached by an agent offering high-paying jobs in Jordan for Rs 3.5 lakh per month—a dream that quickly turned into a nightmare, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
The Lure of a Better Life
Both men, hardworking auto-rickshaw drivers from Kerala, were offered the chance of a lifetime—a well-paying job in Jordan. All they had to do was pay Rs 2.1 lakh upfront and fly to Amman on a tourist visa. After reaching Jordan, Perera spent an additional $600, only to realize the promised jobs didn’t exist. In a desperate move, the agent offered them an even riskier proposition: illegal work in Israel.
The Deadly Journey
On February 10, Perera and Charlas, along with others, were transported to the Israel-Jordan border, where the situation turned tragic. As they walked in pitch darkness, gunfire erupted. Perera was hit in the head and died instantly. Charlas, critically wounded, blacked out before realizing the horror of what had just unfolded.
Mystery of the Border Shooting
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While Jordanian security forces claim they fired after issuing warnings, Charlas, the sole survivor, insists there was no warning—they were shot without mercy.
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Was it a case of mistaken identity, a crackdown on human trafficking, or a brutal response to illegal crossings? The true cause of the shooting remains a mystery
A Harrowing Aftermath
After regaining consciousness in a Jordanian hospital, Charlas faced further trauma. He was imprisoned for 18 days before finally being deported back to India on February 28.
However, Perera’s body remains stuck in Jordan, and his family is now desperately awaiting its return, hoping for intervention from the Indian government.
The Larger Scam
Perera’s tragic death highlights the growing issue of job scams targeting Indian workers, who often fall victim to false promises of lucrative opportunities abroad. Similar cases have been reported globally, with Indian workers being trafficked to scam centers in Cambodia, Southeast Asia, and even lured into dangerous situations like the Russia-Ukraine war and illegal migration schemes in the US.
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