The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has dismantled an international "cyber slavery" racket, arresting three individuals accused of trafficking 52 job seekers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia to Myanmar, where they were forced into cybercrime operations. The arrests, made on Sunday following a tip-off, include Nirav Chaudhary (24) from Uttarakhand, Preet Kamani (21) from Gondal, Rajkot, and Ashish Rana (37) from Vyara, Tapi district, Gujarat, according to a police release.

Investigations revealed that Chaudhary, a college dropout, initiated the scheme after working for a Chinese cybercrime firm in Myanmar in 2023, engaging in frauds like fake investment schemes using fabricated Facebook profiles. Returning to India, he collaborated with Kamani and Rana to lure unemployed youths with promises of lucrative jobs in Thailand, only to traffic them across the Thai-Myanmar border via river crossings.

Victims, expecting roles like customer service or data entry, were coerced into operating online scams under abusive conditions, a practice known as cyber slavery. The racket charged victims ₹3-4 lakh each, with Chaudhary earning ₹3 lakh per person and his associates receiving ₹40,000-50,000 per recruit.

The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, wrongful confinement, and human trafficking, as well as provisions of the Information Technology Act. Surat’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime), Bishakha Jain, stated that the raid at Penta Homes society in Zirakpur, Punjab, led to the seizure of four mobile phones and a laptop, uncovering data on the 52 victims.

The operation, active for 18 months, highlights the growing threat of cyber slavery in Southeast Asia, with Laukkai, Myanmar, identified as a hub for Chinese-run cybercrime syndicates.

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