Several officials from Abroad Study Plan, an employment agency that allegedly charged workers thousands for non-existent jobs in Malta, have been charged with fraud in India.

The accused individuals include Anil Kumar Ghanta.

A Times of Malta investigation found that Ghanta charged many Indian nationals €6,000, promising well-paid jobs in Malta, only for the prospective workers to discover, upon arrival, that the jobs did not exist.

On Thursday, the Times of India reported that two men associated with the agency, G Sunil Kumar and C Navyasri, were arrested.

It is unclear if Ghanta is in India.

In recent videos posted to his YouTube channel, Ghanta claimed to be in Georgia, promoting it as a destination for prospective foreign workers.

The case, which began in the Indian state of Hyderabad, expanded nationally as reports emerged from Delhi, Vijayawada, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. India’s Crime Investigation Department then took over.

Ghanta was also accused by Hyderabad police in February.

The Times of India said over 100 victims were involved, each paying 5 Lakh (around €6,000) to the Abroad Study Plan in the hope of securing a job in Malta.

In October last year, Times of Malta spoke with nine individuals who arrived in Malta through the agency.

Among them was Rahman Khan, who arrived in Malta in September 2022. He soon received a work permit as a food courier but said he was never given a job or earned a salary.

“I never met anyone from that company; I don’t even know who the owner of that company is,” he said.

To survive, Khan had to rely on relatives in India to cover his basic needs.