33 Indian nationals exit Guyana following human trafficking scandal

Jun 10, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Thirty-three of the 37 Indian nationals previously employed under alleged “indentured labour” conditions by EKAA HRM at its Batavia Region Seven quarry have been repatriated to India. The workers’ departure brings closure to a prolonged ordeal that was heavily clouded by conflicting official accounts from both the Ministry of Labour and the Leader of the Opposition.

According to the Leader of the Opposition, the 33 workers left Guyana in two separate waves. A group of 28 workers departed last Friday, financed by the Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed. A subsequent group of five workers left Tuesday at 5:00 AM, with their flights funded by EKAA HRIM Resource Management. Four workers remain in Guyana, having reportedly secured employment with private companies.

In a statement published on his “Team Mohamed’s” Facebook page, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed declared that 33 of the Indian nationals have safely returned to India and are reunited with their families after three years of hardship. The body of Sekhar Chhetri, who died at the worksite, was also returned to his family in India.

Mohamed added that this directly contradicts the Ministry of Labour’s claim that 15 of these workers chose to remain in Guyana for employment, calling the Ministry’s claim a lie and stating that only four of the Indian nationals remain in Guyana.

“This directly contradicts the Ministry of Labour’s claim that 15 of these workers chose to remain in Guyana for employment. That is a lie. Only four of the Indian nationals remain in Guyana. They have secured employment with private companies. You shouldn’t believe anything the PPP ministers say. They are constantly found lying,” the Opposition Leader said.

The Ministry of Labour in statement on May 29, 2026, asserted that 15 of the workers had expressed a desire to remain in Guyana, and that the ministry was actively processing work permits to facilitate their local employment.

The repatriation follows a bitter standoff between the workers, the Guyanese government, and EKAA HRIM Resource Management. In a previous engagement with Kaieteur News, the 37 Indian nationals strongly rejected the Ministry’s and the company’s characterisation of their employment, stating they had to actively seek refuge from the company. One worker stated that they were not kidnapped nor hijacked by the Leader of the Opposition, but wanted to meet with the Indian High Commissioner.

He noted that the company refused to help, so they asked Mohamed because they just wanted to go home to their families. The Ministry of Labour reported that while workers claimed their passports were being unlawfully withheld, EKAA HRIM countered that the documents were held for safekeeping. The company provided ledgers showing signatures from workers when accessing passports for banking or wire transactions. However, the labourers stated that this mechanism was a systematic confiscation, wherein passports were seized back the exact same day. Workers alleged that if they faced a medical or family emergency, management demanded a US$2,500 cash penalty to release the passport.

The core financial dispute involves an estimated US$2,500 per person which workers say was forcefully deducted from their salaries as a mandatory guarantee fee. Combined with passport release, outstanding fees and a US$2,000 return flight, workers faced an effective US$5,000 exit barrier. The Ministry of Labour stated its officials reviewed the contracts on May 25, 2026, and found no legal grounds under Guyanese law to enforce repayment. Eleven contracts stipulated the US$2,500 would be paid as a bonus at the end of the contract, but clauses stated they were governed by the laws of Mauritius or the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The remaining 26 contracts indicated lower pay for the first six months as a probationary phase, increasing in the seventh month. The Ministry concluded there was no evidence to support the contention that the monies were being withheld, nor was any contract presented that could be applied to the laws of Guyana for enforcement.

Corporate and investigative records show a highly calculated recruitment network. The workers reportedly paid average recruitment fees of 84,000 Indian Rupees (US$1,000) to Global Dynamic Talent Solutions (also operating as Global Dynamics) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, expecting standard 8-hour workdays. A search of the recruitment agency’s website revealed that its Registration Certificate (RC) holder is Saju Bhaskar. Bhaskar is also identified as the Founder and President of Texila American University, and the Founder of EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management.

Despite a multi-year trail of continuous complaints and Right to Information (RTI) filings from the High Commission of India in Georgetown, which Kaieteur News previously reported with evidence of routinely closed grievances by advising workers to take up the matter with the embassy directly, EKAA HRIM has managed to avoid operational shutdowns or severe State sanctions.

Sector insiders suggest local market dynamics may have influenced the company’s aggressive labour management, noting that the stone price in Guyana fell because everyone got a quarry and went into the business. While the Ministry of Labour maintains that immediate wages for April and May 2026 were fully settled via bank transfers, the broader regulatory question remains unanswered as to how multi-year foreign labour complaints will impact the company’s future operational licences in Guyana.

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• Azruddin Mohamed, EKAA HRM, human trafficking, Indian nationals

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