NIA court refuses bail to trio arrested in human trafficking case

MUMBAI: A special court designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act has denied bail to three individuals arrested in connection with an international human trafficking case

MUMBAI: A special court designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act has denied bail to three individuals arrested in connection with an international human trafficking case. The accused allegedly lured Indian men with promises of high-paying foreign jobs, only to subject them to torture and forced labour in the Golden Triangle—a region at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers, spanning the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.

NIA court refuses bail to trio arrested in human trafficking case

The NIA arrested the three accused—Sudarshan Darade, Jerry Jacobs, and Godfrey Thomas—in June 2024. They are accused of operating an organised trafficking syndicate. According to the NIA, Jacobs, 46, ran an unregistered recruitment agency since 2021, targeting individuals in India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.

As per the investigation, Darade had signed a recruitment agreement with Jacobs to recruit approximately 1,000 youths for LongSheng Company, where Jacobs and Thomas worked as recruitment agents. The accused allegedly employed sub-agents and an HR manager to prepare fraudulent offer letters for the victims.

The prosecution revealed to the court that victims were instructed to carry ₹10,000 to ₹20,000 for personal expenses in Thailand. Once in Thailand, Jacobs reportedly transported the victims by boat across the Mekong River to Laos, where they were introduced to the other accused.

Upon arrival, the victims, who entered on tourist visas, were appointed as call centre operators or live chat agents. They were handed pre-written scripts, multiple iPhones, over 100 pre-activated SIM cards from India and Lao PDR, and access to hacked bank accounts with fake profiles. Their job was to convince unsuspecting customers to invest in cryptocurrency through fraudulent apps developed by the company.

When victims resisted or refused to participate in the scam, they were reportedly subjected to severe threats, including death, dismemberment, and sexual assault. The prosecution further noted that the accused charged victims ₹30,000 to ₹1.2 lakh for securing jobs at LongSheng Company. Additionally, some victims had to pay between ₹50,000 and ₹80,000 to secure their release from the scam compounds in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos.

In a detailed order issued on December 6, special judge BD Shelke observed that the accused were actively involved in recruiting and sending youths under the guise of legitimate employment, thus furthering the criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the trafficking syndicate. The court noted that the victims were exploited for illegal online cyber scams and that the accused played a pivotal role in enabling these activities.

Citing the serious nature and gravity of the offences, the court ruled that the three accused were not entitled to bail. The case highlights the urgent need for stronger safeguards against human trafficking and stricter oversight of recruitment agencies.