NIA raids 22 locations across six states in trafficking, cyber slavery probe | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted extensive searches at 22 locations across six states in a human trafficking and forced cyber frauds case.
The premises of 17 suspects in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Punjab were searched as part of the agency’s probe into an organised trafficking syndicate engaged in trafficking of Indian youth to Southeast Asian countries.
The suspects have been identified as sub-agents, associates and relatives of Cambodia-based Indian agents involved in trafficking Indian youth to Cambodia. These suspects were allegedly trafficking the job-seeking youth to foreign countries, and managing their financial transactions and other logistics, as per NIA investigations.
Thursday’s searches led to the seizure of several digital devices including mobile phones, hard drives, memory cards, laptop and incriminating documents , along with property and financial documents. Further, over Rs 34.8 lakh in cash was also recovered.
NIA investigations so far have revealed that the youth were being lured on the pretext of lucrative, legitimate jobs and were then forced into cyber slavery. The trafficked youth were being transferred to scam companies, with 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 the event of their refusal to commit the cyber frauds.