CBI nets key trafficker feeding Indians into Southeast Asia’s cyber slavery camps

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key member of a large network that tricks Indian job seekers into working in scam compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia. The accused, from the Hisar area of Haryana, is said to have trafficked at least four people in 2025 by promising them high-paying jobs abroad. These victims were offered appealing jobs in Southeast Asian countries.

Instead, they were sent to guarded compounds and forced to run online fraud schemes, which investigators call “cyber slavery.” People who managed to escape described harsh conditions, such as being locked up, watched all the time, and exploited. Some had to pay large sums to buy their freedom, while others were only released if they found someone else to replace them. Digital evidence from the accused’s seized mobile phones shows direct links to recruiters in Myanmar and Cambodia. Investigators are also examining cryptocurrency payments believed to be commissions from the compound operators. The phones show that the network posted job ads on Instagram and coordinated with foreign handlers and recruits through encrypted Telegram chats. 

The CBI began investigating this organised group of agents and facilitators in December 2025. After conducting searches at eight locations across four states and arresting three more members of the same network in May and June 2026, authorities see this latest arrest as a breakthrough in dismantling the Indian part of the supply chain behind these overseas scam operations.

This pattern repeats in every case. Young people, whether desperate or ambitious, respond to polished online ads and pay intermediaries for ‘processing fees’ or travel costs. They end up trapped far from home, without legal help and with little contact with their families. Those who have returned have suffered serious psychological and physical harm.

The CBI has issued a new public warning, urging people to be careful. Any job offer received through social media, messaging apps, or personal contacts should be treated with suspicion unless it has been checked with official government sources or accredited employment agencies. This kind of fraud not only causes financial loss but also puts Indian citizens at risk of modern slavery, physical harm, legal trouble abroad, and long-term psychological trauma. The investigation is still focused on tracking financial transactions, finding other agents who are still at large, and identifying foreign operators who profit from the forced labour of trafficked Indians. Authorities say the network is large and not limited to one area. As long as social media is used for job ads and cryptocurrency hides payments, the supply chain will continue.

Investigators warn that the promise of easy money abroad can quickly lead to cyber slavery. Checking job offers before travelling is now essential. It is the only reliable way to stay safe.