MHA discusses strategy to rescue 5000 Indians trapped in cyber-slavery in Cambodia
- In Reports
- 04:40 PM, Mar 29, 2024
- Myind Staff
More than 5,000 Indians are reportedly trapped in Cambodia, where they are allegedly held against their will and coerced into committing cyber fraud against individuals in India. The government estimates that these fraudsters have allegedly swindled people of at least Rs 500 crore in India over the past six months.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), and other security experts to formulate a strategy for rescuing the Indians trapped in Cambodia.
The meeting aimed to address the organized racket and repatriate those stranded. Data indicates that India has lost Rs 500 crore to cyber fraud originating in Cambodia over the last six months. Central agencies have found that agents from the southern region of the country are luring individuals with promises of data entry jobs in Cambodia, only to coerce them into committing cyber fraud.
Individuals trapped in Cambodia are coerced into scamming people in India, including impersonating law enforcement officials to extort money. Three individuals from Bengaluru, previously trapped in Cambodia, have been repatriated to India.
An officer, disclosing the details of the Rourkela Police's operation, stated that it stemmed from a complaint lodged by a senior Central government official who had been defrauded of approximately Rs 70 lakh.
"We apprehended eight individuals from various regions of the country, supported by prima facie evidence implicating multiple individuals in the scam," the officer affirmed. Subsequently, Look Out Circulars were issued against 16 people. The Bureau of Immigration detained two individuals, Harish Kurapati and Naga Venkata Sowjanya Kurapati, at Hyderabad airport upon their return from Cambodia earlier this week.
Dr. Arathi Krishna, Deputy Chairman of the Non-Resident Indian Forum of the Government of Karnataka (NRIFK), disclosed that three individuals from the state, ensnared in Cambodia, were rescued with assistance from the MEA.
"Our organisation collaborated with the MEA and the Indian embassy in Cambodia to facilitate their return," she stated. According to her, the rescued individuals revealed that approximately 200 more individuals from the region are also trapped in Cambodia. One of the rescued men, Stephen, recounted his experience, stating that he was offered a data entry job in Cambodia by an agent in Mangaluru. Upon arrival, they were instructed to engage in cyber scams instead.
Image source: Indian Express
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