NIA files chargesheet against five for trafficking of Indians to ‘cyber slavery’ firms in Cambodia

The National Investigation Agency on Friday filed a chargesheet against five persons in connection with a Cambodia-linked human trafficking and cyber slavery case that involved luring young persons from India with fake job offers.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said the chargesheet was filed before a special NIA court in Patna under sections of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the agency, the accused were part of an organised trafficking syndicate that targeted young persons “on the pretext of legitimate jobs and handsome salaries”.

The NIA said the persons were then trafficked to Cambodia, where their passports were seized and they were forced to work for scam companies involved in cyber fraud operations.

“Any resistance on their part [was] met with mental and physical torture, including electric shocks, forceful confinement, denial of food and water etc,” the agency alleged.

Investigators identified Anand Kumar Singh, also known as Munna Singh, as the alleged kingpin of the network, saying he worked with associates in Cambodia and recruited victims through sub-agents and travel agents in India.

The NIA alleged that he charged between $2,000 and $3,000 for each person sent to fraudulent companies in Cambodia. However, the agency said he remains absconding.

Three others, Abhay Nath Dubey and Rohit Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, and Abhiranjan Kumar from...

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