Vizag police cracks down on human trafficking ring luring 150 unemployed youth to Combodia

Recently, the Vizag City police had a big breakthrough as they busted the operations of a human trafficking ring in Cambodia, which was luring hundreds of unemployed youth from the city. Reportedly, the victims were being coerced into committing cybercrimes on Indian citizens in Cambodia. Here’s a full breakdown of the case:

The operation and findings

Based on a victim’s complaint, the Visakhapatnam City Police, under the guidance of Dr Ravi Shankar, IPS, Commissioner of Police (CP) and Additional District Magistrate (ADM), discovered a human trafficking racket that was recruiting unemployed youth from Vizag in the name of providing them with data entry operator jobs in Singapore.

The victims, however, were later trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held captive, tortured and put under duress to commit cyber crimes against other Indian citizens by keeping them in confinement. The victims were not allowed to speak to their families, and their passports were snatched. They were forced and trained to execute cybercrimes like FedEx Scams, Stock Market Frauds, task game frauds, and more.

Key arrests and interrogation

The agent who recruited these young individuals on behalf of their handlers in Cambodia received a substantial commission. After interrogating the prime suspects—Chukka Rajesh Vijay Kumar, Mannena Gnaneswara Rao, and Sabbavarapu Kondala Rao—the names of the trafficked youths who had arrived in Cambodia through these agents were documented.

Approximately 150 youths from Visakhapatnam and the surrounding area were trafficked to Cambodia over the past year. These victims were coerced into committing cybercrimes while being held under duress.

When the Visakhapatnam City Police exposed their names and contacted them individually or through their family members, the youths shared their experiences of hardship, inhumane conditions, and torture at the hands of their Cambodian handlers

Latest developments

Following this incident, numerous individuals contacted the Vizag City police via WhatsApp and shared videos. On the night of 20 May 2024, approximately 300 Indian nationals staged a significant revolt against their captors in Cambodia. The unrest occurred at the Jinbei 4 compound in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, which is known as a hub for cybercrime fraud factories. Many of these Indians appealed to Indian authorities to address their situation and facilitate their safe return to India.

Police response and assistance

In response to the human trafficking in Cambodia come to light, the Commissioner of Vizag police, Ravi Shankar promptly contacted the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and the Intelligence & Coordination (I&C) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to facilitate the safe return of individuals who were detained following the recent revolt and rioting.

Additionally, seven special teams, led by Dr. Fakkeerappa Kaginelli, IPS (Joint Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam city), along with K. Bhavani Prasad, CI Cyber Crime PS, and their team, are actively investigating human trafficking related to cybercrime.

For immediate assistance, victims or their family members are encouraged to reach out to the Circle Inspector of the Cyber Crimes unit at 9490617917, use the CP WhatsApp number (9493336633), or contact the Control Room at 0891-2565454.

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