NIA chargesheet against 5 in Cambodia-linked trafficking, cyber slavery racket

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted five people, including an absconding mastermind, in a Cambodia-linked human trafficking and cyber slavery racket in which Indian youths were allegedly lured abroad with fake job offers and subjected to brutal abuse, officials said on Saturday.

The chargesheet was filed before a special NIA court in Patna against Anand Kumar Singh alias Munna Singh and four others in connection with a transnational trafficking network that allegedly sent Indian youths to Cambodia under the promise of lucrative jobs and salaries.

Investigators identified Anand Kumar Singh as the kingpin of the racket, operating through agents and travel facilitators across India while coordinating with associates based in Cambodia. According to the NIA, the accused trafficked victims to the Southeast Asian country and “sold” them to fraudulent scam companies for USD 2,000 to 3,000 per person.

The agency said the youths were forced into cyber fraud operations after reaching Cambodia. Their passports were confiscated and they were allegedly subjected to mental and physical torture if they resisted. The abuse included electric shocks, confinement and denial of food and water, investigators said.

Three of the accused – Abhay Nath Dubey and Rohit Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, and Abhiranjan Kumar from Bihar – were arrested in February this year after arriving in Delhi from Cambodia. Another accused, Prahlad Kumar Singh, is currently out on bail.

The NIA said the accused were part of an organised human trafficking syndicate that targeted Indian youths with promises of legitimate overseas employment before trapping them in cyber scam centres operating in Cambodia.

The agency added that investigations are continuing to identify other members of the network and uncover the full scope of the conspiracy.

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(with inputs from PTI)