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Job seekers to cyber slaves: How UP man lured youngsters for ‘scam compounds’ in Southeast Asia
Many were transported through Delhi to Cambodia, where they were coerced into participating in cyber-fraud operations.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Krishna Kumar Lakhwani, a Kanpur-based recruiter, for allegedly sending Indians to "cyber-slavery compounds" in Southeast Asia, where they were allegedly forced to run scams targeting people back home.
The accused allegedly lured young people through advertisements promising lucrative jobs abroad, such as data entry or customer support roles, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.
He reportedly charged $300-400 to get people the jobs he promised and to set up interviews. After ‘selection’, the job seekers would be transported abroad to Southeast Asian countries.
The accused allegedly made travel arrangements, and many were transported through Delhi to Cambodia, where they were coerced into participating in cyber-fraud operations, the CBI officials said.
The cyber scam compounds
According to the statement by the CBI spokesperson, the victims were subjected to intimidation, confiscation of passports and, in some cases, wrongful confinement in what the central agency called the "cyber scam compounds",
There, they were allegedly forced to engage in cybercriminal activities, including digital arrests and other scams targeting unsuspecting people. These people worked under threats and abusive conditions, turning them into "cyber slaves".
How CBI nabbed the accused
According to the CBI statement, the accused was nabbed after being tracked and intercepted upon his return to India from a foreign trip.
"Based on the source information and surveillance, the accused was tracked and intercepted upon his arrival in India and brought to the CBI office for questioning," the statement said.
CBI further stated that several videos were found following the examination of the accused’s mobile phone in the presence of witnesses, showing him interviewing candidates for recruitment to the said scam compounds in Southeast Asian countries.
"Images of passports of multiple Indian candidates allegedly recruited by him for these centres in Cambodia were also recovered," the statement said.
