NIA arrests five in international human trafficking, cyber fraud case

NIA arrests five in human trafficking and cyber fraud case, exposing organized syndicate luring Indian youth for illegal activities.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested five persons in human trafficking and cyber fraud case, following searches across six States/union territories in coordination with the local police and Central intelligence agencies.

The NIA probe has revealed that the accused were part of the organised trafficking syndicate engaged in luring and sending the Indian youth to foreign countries on the false promises of legal employment.

“The youth were being forced to work in fake call centres in Laos, Golden Triangle SEZ, and Cambodia, among other places, as part of the racket, controlled and operated mainly by foreign nationals. They were coerced into undertaking illegal activities online, such as credit card fraud, investments in crypto currency using fake applications, honey trapping etc,” the agency said.

Also read: Efforts on to bring back more victims of human trafficking racket in Cambodia, say Vizag police

Among those arrested are Manish Hingu of Vadodara (Gujarat), Pahlad Singh of Gopalganj (Bihar), Nabialam Ray of South-West Delhi, Balwant Kataria of Gurugram (Haryana), and Sartaj Singh of Chandigarh. The searches were carried out at 15 locations in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.

“The searches led to the seizure of several incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices, handwritten registers, multiple passports, bogus overseas employment letters etc. Eight fresh First Information Reports have been registered by different State/union territory police forces and five accused have been arrested,” said the NIA.

The arrested accused worked in coordination with the traffickers operating from across the international border to facilitate illegal border-crossing of the Indian youth from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam to Laos Special Economic Zone (SEZ).