In its charge sheet, the NIA claimed to have exposed a “well-organized network of traffickers and touts”. | Photo credit: PTI
“The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against three accused, including a suspected Chinese national, in a Myanmar-based human trafficking and cyber fraud racket targeting UK, US and Canadian citizens,” officials said.
In its charge sheet filed before a special NIA court in Haryana’s Panchkula on Wednesday (February 18, 2026), the agency said it had exposed a “well-organized network of traffickers and touts”.
“The accused – Ankit Kumar alias Ankit Bharadwaj, Istikar Ali alias Ali and Lisa, an absconding Chinese national – have been charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (BNS) and Section 24 of the Immigration Act,” the agency said in a statement.
“NIA investigations have revealed that these three, along with known and unknown accomplices, were involved in transporting vulnerable Indian youths to the Myawaddy region of Myanmar,” it said.
The agency, which took over the case from the Haryana Police, said the accused were involved in various illegal activities ranging from unlicensed recruitment of Indian nationals abroad to illegal transfer of victims for criminal activities in Southeast Asia.
According to the NIA, the arrested Ankit Kumar and Istikar Ali lured Indian youths with the promise of “legitimate jobs” in Thailand and coordinated online interviews with Lisa, a Chinese national from Myanmar.
“The victims were tricked by posing as Lisa as a genuine recruiter and into believing that they would be offered secure jobs in Thailand,” the statement said, adding that the accused arranged to transport the victims from India to Myanmar “illegally through Thailand”.
“Upon arrival in Myanmar, the trafficked youth were forced to work for cyber scam companies,” the agency said. “They were made to create fake social media profiles and conspire with people in the US, UK and Canada to invest through fraudulent cryptocurrency apps,” it said.
“On refusal, the victims were detained and forced to continue” and were also forced to pay “huge sums for their release,” the NIA said.
Published – February 19, 2026 10:41 am IST
