New Delhi: The CBI has arrested a Kanpur-based recruiter accused of sending Indians to “cyber-slavery compounds” in Southeast Asia, where they were allegedly forced to run scams targeting people in India, officials said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Krishna Kumar Lakhwani, reportedly lured young individuals through advertisements promising lucrative jobs such as data entry or customer support roles abroad, charging between 300 and 400 USD for placement.
According to officials, Lakhwani arranged travel for the recruits, many of whom were transported via Delhi to Cambodia, where they were allegedly coerced into participating in cyber-fraud operations.
“Based on source information and surveillance, the accused was tracked and intercepted upon his arrival in India and brought to the CBI office for questioning,” a spokesperson for the agency said.
During the examination of his mobile phone in the presence of witnesses, authorities recovered multiple videos showing him interviewing candidates for recruitment into the scam compounds. Images of passports belonging to several Indian candidates allegedly recruited for these centres in Cambodia were also found.
In these so-called “cyber scam compounds,” victims were reportedly subjected to intimidation, passport confiscation, and in some cases wrongful confinement. They were allegedly forced to engage in cybercriminal activities, including digital scams, under abusive conditions, effectively turning them into “cyber slaves,” the CBI said.
With PTI inputs