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CBI raids 4 states over trafficking network sending Indians to SE Asia for jobs
CBI raids 9 locations across four states, busts network trafficking Indians to SE Asia scam hubs posing as overseas job offers
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches in four states in connection with its probe into an organised network of agents engaged in trafficking Indian nationals to South-East Asian countries under the pretext of lucrative overseas job opportunities, the agency said on Wednesday.
The nine locations covered in the raids include Mumbai, Delhi, Uttarakhand’s Kashipur, and Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda, Lucknow and Saharanpur.
“These actions follow an extensive nationwide enquiry during which statements from victims were recorded. The agency has also undertaken detailed financial analysis, including tracking cryptocurrency transactions, to identify individuals involved in the trafficking network. During the searches, electronic devices containing incriminating evidence were seized,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that an individual was also arrested following the raids for his role in facilitating the trafficking.
The CBI’s probe into the trafficking network has revealed that victims are lured with false promises of high-paying employment and subsequently transported to scam compounds located primarily in Myanmar and Cambodia.
These facilities, operated by transnational cybercrime syndicates, have been described as hubs of “cyber slavery,” where trafficked individuals are forced to participate in various forms of cyber-enabled racket.
“Victims in these compounds are subjected to severe restrictions on movement, with their passports often confiscated upon arrival. Reports indicate instances of both physical and psychological harassment. In several cases, victims have been compelled to seek financial assistance from their families to pay ransom for their release,” the CBI spokesperson added.
