Overview

• India’s External Affairs Ministry urged the “strictest vigilance” after multiple cases of Indians being lured to Iran for jobs or onward placement and then abducted for ransom.
• The advisory clarifies that Iran’s visa-free entry for Indian passport-holders applies only to tourism, not employment.
• Authorities cautioned that agents offering visa-free work access or promises of transfer to third countries could be colluding with criminal networks.
• A 26-year-old Delhi resident, Himanshu Mathur, was reportedly kidnapped in Iran and released after a Rs 20 lakh payment, and Delhi Police registered a kidnapping and conspiracy case.
• Earlier reports of three men from Punjab going missing in Tehran under similar circumstances prompted the Iranian embassy to say it was investigating.