Following searches across six States/union territories in coordination with the local police and Central intelligence agencies, on Monday, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five persons in human trafficking and cyber fraud case.
The NIA probe has revealed that the accused were part of the organized trafficking syndicate engaged in luring and sending the Indian youth to foreign countries on the false promises of legal employment.
“The youth were being forced to work in fake call centres as honey trappers using counterfeit applications in Laos, Golden Triangle SEZ and Cambodia among other places controlled by foreigners. They were also forced into online illegal activities like credit card scams; investing money using fictitious apps into cypto currency etc,” said the agency.
Manish Hingu of Vadodara (Gujarat), Pahlad Singh of Gopalganj (Bihar), Nabialam Ray from South-West Delhi, Balwant Kataria of Gurugram (Haryana) and Sartaj Singh of Chandigarh are among those arrested. The searches covered 15 locations across Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar Gujarat Delhi Haryana Punjab and Chandigarh.
Documents seized
“The searches have resulted in seizure of several incriminating items including documents, digital devices such as mobile phones & laptops, registers having handwritten entries therein about daily collection/payment details & receipts etc., multiple passports issued fraudulently to various persons with different names/addresses but having their own photographs affixed thereon and bogus overseas employment letters,” added NIA. “Subsequently eight fresh first information reports have been registered by different state/union territory police forces against unknown accused persons for further investigation out of which five accused persons have been arrested.”
These traffickers worked hand-in-glove with arrested accused for facilitating illegal border crossing by Indian nationals from Thailand via Cambodia or Vietnam into Laos SEZ.
“They were simply working at the instance of foreign-based elements belonging to well-organised syndicates which were operating across different districts of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Delhi etc.,” it said. “These syndicates were further connected to operatives based in other parts of India as well as foreign countries such as UAE Cambodia Vietnam Laos SEZ…”
On May 13, the NIA had taken over the case from Mumbai police.
More than 400 rescued
The Indian Embassy in Laos has so far rescued over 400 Indian nationals from Lao PDR. Last week the embassy had issued an alert, warning that some people have been lured into a trap by offering them fake job offers with companies engaged in call centre scams and crypto-currency fraud in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos.
“Agents from Dubai, Bangkok Singapore and India are recruiting Indians through simple interviews and typing tests for high paying jobs where they also take care of hotel bookings as well as give return air tickets and visa facilitation. These victims are illegally taken across the border into Laos from Thailand where they are held captive for work under brutal conditions,” reads part of the advisory.
It added: “At times, these individuals are detained by criminal gangs involved in illegal activities thereby forcing them into hard labour under difficult conditions both at physical and mental level. In some other cases however, these Indians come to Laos to work under harsh condition within tendal groups like mining industry or wood factory among others. Mostly their handlers exploit their poor state thence endangering their lives.”
