The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said it has conducted searches in four states in connection with its probe into an organized network of agents involved in smuggling Indian nationals to Southeast Asian countries under the pretext of lucrative business opportunities abroad.
The nine locations included in the raids include Mumbai, Delhi, Kashipur in Uttarakhand, Goonda, Lucknow and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
“These actions follow a large-scale nationwide investigation during which victim data was recorded. The agency also conducted a detailed financial analysis, including tracking cryptocurrency transactions, to identify individuals involved in the trafficking network. “During the search operations, electronic devices containing incriminating evidence were seized,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesman said that one person was also arrested after the raids for his role in facilitating trafficking.
The CBI’s investigation into the human trafficking network revealed that victims are lured with false promises of high-paying jobs and are then taken to fraudulent complexes mainly located in Myanmar and Cambodia.
These facilities, run by transnational cybercrime gangs, have been described as centers of “cyberslavery,” where trafficked individuals are forced to participate in various forms of cyberextortion.
The CBI spokesman added: “Victims in these compounds are subject to severe movement restrictions, and their passports are often confiscated upon arrival. Reports indicate cases of physical and psychological harassment. In many cases, victims were forced to seek financial assistance from their families to pay a ransom for their release.”
