Southeast Asia human trafficking case: National Investigation Agency conducts raids at 22 locations in six states

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted extensive searches at 22 locations in six states in: a case involving human trafficking and forced cyber fraudrecovering incriminating materials and money related to the accused.

As part of the anti-terrorism agency’s investigation into the case organized syndicate trafficking youth from India to Southeast Asian countries.

The suspects were identified as sub-agents, associates and relatives of Indian agents stationed in Cambodia involved in trafficking young Indians to countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

According to NIA investigations, the suspects were involved in smuggling young Indian men seeking employment to other countries and managing their financial transactions and other logistical activities.

The searches led to the seizure of several digital devices, including mobile phones, hard drives, memory cards, laptops, as well as incriminating documents, as well as property and financial documents. Moreover, cash worth Rs 34,80,800 was also recovered.

NIA investigations so far have revealed that young job seekers were lured under the pretext of lucrative, legal work and then were forced into cyber slavery.

Young people who were victims of human trafficking were transferred to fraudulent companies and their passports were confiscated.

Statements filed by victims to the NIA revealed mental and physical torture, including electric shock, meted out to them by fraud managers if they refused to commit cyber frauds.

Further investigations into this matter are continuing.

According to the Bureau of Immigration in the Union Home Ministry, 29,466 Indians who traveled to Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia between January 2022 and May 2024 on tourist visas are considered missing. Half of them belong to the 20-39 age group and one third are from Punjab, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 70 percent of these 29,466 people are missing in Thailand.

It is estimated that 5,000 Indian nationals may be involved in call center scams in Cambodia alone. The Indian embassy in Phnom Penh has reportedly repatriated over 1,000 Indians, including around 770 in the first nine months of 2024. In August, 47 young men were rescued from Laos.