Bid to send three youth for cyber slavery in Cambodia foiled: CB CID arrested an illegal agent in Tiruchi 

The Protector of Emigrants foiled an attempt of an illegal agent to send three  youth for ‘cyber slavery’ in Cambodia and nabbed the agent in a joint operation with Crime Branch CID of Tamilnadu police in Tiruchi. 

The Protector of Emigrants (POE), Chennai, with support of the Tamil Nadu Police CBCID, arrested the illegal agent who has been identified as Fathima, 40  in Tiruchi who was attempting to send three young men to Cambodia for employment in fraudulent, scam-based companies for cyberslavery. The youths were stopped before they could travel abroad, and the agent was apprehended during a raid at her office. 

The agent had lured the victims with promises of well-paying jobs in Cambodia, convincing them to pay large sums of money for job placements. In a desperate attempt to bypass legal emigration procedures, the agent instructed the youth to travel on tourist visas and misled authorities at the airport by lying about the purpose of their travel. One youth, having come to know about the advisories, voluntarily withdrew from the scheme after realising the fraudulentnature of the job offer. The other two youths were intercepted at Kochi airport before they could board their flight.

Upon learning the true nature of the employment they were being recruited for, they too chose to drop out of the arrangement. Based on this intelligence, POE Chennai coordinated with the Tamil Nadu Police CBCID to execute an operation that resulted in the arrest of the agent.

Further investigations are currently under way to uncover the fullextent of the agent’s illegal activities, including the number of individuals who have already been sent, the details of the victims, and any masterminds behind this operation.

M.Rajkumar, said Protector of Emigrants for the region of Tamilnadu urged all individuals seeking employment abroad to exercise extreme caution, especially when traveling to Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. It is crucial to ensure that overseas employment is arranged only through licensed recruitment agents authorized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We strongly advises all potential emigrants to verify the credentials ofrecruiting agencies before making any financial commitments. A list of licensed agents can be found at emigrate.gov.in.” 

He also issued a stern warning to any individuals or agents attempting to facilitate illegal emigration further stating “It is a punishable offense under the Emigration Act for any agent to send Indian citizens abroad without a valid license. Such agents must immediately cease recruitment activities or obtain the necessary legal license. Strict actions will be taken against anyone violating the Emigration Act”, said Mr. Rajkumar.

Published - December 14, 2024 12:56 am IST