New Delhi: Probing an alleged human trafficking syndicate which is involved in attracting youth, offering them jobs, to force them into cyber slavery abroad, the National Investigation ran raids in 22 locations in six different states on Thursday, PTI reported.
The premises of 17 suspects were searched in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Punjab as part of the agency's ongoing probe into the case linked with the organised trafficking syndicate engaged in trafficking of Indian youth to Southeast Asian countries, according to a statement.
The suspects have been identified as sub-agents, associates and relatives of Cambodia-based Indian agents involved in trafficking Indian youth to the Southeast Asian country, it said.
The statement by the NIA said that these suspects were involved in trafficking job-seeking youths to foreign countries and managing their financial transactions and other logistics.
It said the searches led to the seizure of several digital devices, including mobile phones, hard drives, memory cards, laptops and incriminating documents, along with property and financial documents.
Rs 34.80 lakh cash has also been seized, the statement said.
Investigations by the NIA have so far revealed that the youths were being lured on the pretext of lucrative legitimate jobs and were then forced into cyber slavery, it said, adding the trafficked youths were being transferred to scam companies and their passports seized.
Statements given to NIA by the victims have revealed mental and physical torture, including electric shocks, by the managers of the scam companies in case of refusal to commit cyber frauds, it said.
The case was originally registered by the Bihar police in Gopalganj and later taken over by the NIA.