The three men from Punjab who went missing in Iran last month were rescued by the Iranian authorities, according to reports. The Indians were allegedly kidnapped by human traffickers after they landed in Tehran on May 11.
"Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police. Local media in Iran say police have found and released three Indian men who had gone missing in Iran," the Iranian embassy in India posted on its X handle.
Three missing Indian citizens freed by Tehran police
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) June 3, 2025
Local media in Iran say police have found and released three Indian men who had gone missing in Iran.https://t.co/YAkirkKRHg
The action came after Indian authorities alerted Iran about the incident. As per reports, Jaspal Singh, Amritpal Singh and Husanpreet Singh, from Punjab's Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Sangrur districts were reportedly trying to illegally immigrate to Australia but fell prey to kidnappers in Tehran.
Iranian media reports said intelligence activities indicated that Indians stumbled upon an Instagram page titled 'Getting a visa for Australia' and made an appointment with its Afghan operators in Iran.
Jaspal Singh, Amritpal Singh, and Husanpreet Singh, from Punjab's Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, and Sangrur districts , went missing on May 1, the very day they arrived in Iran. On arrival at Tehran airport from Dubai, they were held captive by Afghan agents, who have since been torturing them seeking a ransom of Rs 18 lakh each.
After the family contacted the Ministry of External Affairs, Iran's District Prosecutor's Office had ordered a specialised investigation. The probe team soon received intelligence about the kidnappers and their hideouts and discovered that they had carried out these criminal acts with prior planning, according to Iranian media.
The team swarmed the kidnapper's hideout in the Iranian city of Varamin. A raid followed and four suspects were arrested. Citizens from several countries, including the three Indians, were rescued from the hideout. All of them were taken hostage by the Afghans under the guise of obtaining visa.
This isn't an isolated incident as Iran is a hub for human smugglers who transport illegal migrants via land, sea and air routes, thanks to its geography. The country is a bridge between Asia, Europe and the Middle East, making it a favourite route for illegal migrants to enter the Arabian Peninsula and the southern Mediterranean region.
