Ex Merchant Navy Officer Arrested In Cyber Slavery Racket
A former merchant navy officer has been arrested for allegedly trafficking Indian youths to Cambodia and Thailand for “cyber slavery” under the guise of lucrative overseas jobs.
According to police, the accused, identified as Nagesh Kumar, is believed to be the main operator of an international cyber slavery network.
Investigators said the gang allegedly lured youngsters with promises of high-paying jobs abroad and collected lakhs of rupees from them before sending them overseas.
However, after reaching Cambodia and Thailand, the victims were allegedly held hostage and forced to work in cyber fraud and online scam centres.
The racket surfaced after several youths approached authorities claiming they had been cheated, confined and pressured into committing online fraud.
Following the complaints, the Agra Cyber Cell launched an investigation and traced the accused to Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, where he was arrested after multiple raids.
Police said several other accused linked to the gang had already been arrested earlier.
Officials added that a mobile phone recovered from Kumar contains crucial evidence, including conversations with foreign entities, particularly Chinese companies, which may help investigators uncover international links of the network.
Authorities suspect the cyber slavery operation has connections in multiple countries and are continuing the investigation.
In a related case, the National Investigation Agency recently chargesheeted five accused linked to a Cambodia-based human trafficking and cyber slavery racket, where Indian victims were allegedly tortured and forced to work for scam companies.
