60 Indians rescued from cyber fraud rackets in Cambodia return home

Traffickers lured individuals to Cambodia with promises of lucrative jobs but were forced into cybercrime syndicates upon arrival

At least 60 Indians, rescued by the Indian embassy in Cambodia after being trafficked and forced into cyber fraud, have finally returned home.

The Indian embassy announced on X (formerly Twitter), "Always committed to helping Indians abroad. First batch of 60 Indian nationals rescued by Indian Embassy in Cambodia from fraudulent employers return home. Thank the Cambodian authorities for their support."

The embassy had earlier coordinated with the Sihanoukville authorities to assist these individuals with travel documents and other arrangements for their early return.

Always committed to helping Indians abroad.

First batch of 60 Indian nationals rescued by Indian Embassy in Cambodia from fraudulent employers return home. Thank the Cambodian authorities for their support. @MOICambodia @IndianDiplomacy @MEAIndia @meaMADAD pic.twitter.com/8PwGnO59Kg

— India in Cambodia (@indembcam) May 23, 2024

 

 

Background of the trafficking Incident

This rescue follows a report by the Andhra Pradesh police about approximately 300 Indians staging a "revolt" against their handlers in Cambodia on May 20, leading to several arrests. Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner A. Ravi Shankar noted that these trafficked Indians caused large-scale riots in Jinbei and Compound, Sihanoukville, an area notorious for cybercrime activities.

Modus operandi of the traffickers

The trafficked individuals were lured to Cambodia with promises of lucrative jobs but were forced into cybercrime syndicates upon arrival. In response, the Indian embassy set up a temporary control room in Sihanoukville to aid the trapped nationals, many of whom hailed from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Embassy officials were dispatched to assist in their repatriation.

Indian Embassy issues advisory

The Indian embassy has been actively working with Cambodian authorities at the highest levels to ensure the safe return of all Indian nationals wishing to leave. To date, nearly 360 Indians have been rescued and repatriated from these scam centers in Cambodia, including the 60 rescued on May 20.

In light of these incidents, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory urging Indian nationals seeking employment in Cambodia and Southeast Asia to beware of scams. The MEA highlighted that fake agents in the region, in collusion with agents in India, are luring individuals into scam companies involved in cybercrimes.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) have noted a significant number of cyber-related complaints originating from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. In the past four months, authorities have taken substantial measures to combat cybercrime, including freezing 325,000 mule accounts, blocking over 3,000 URLs and 595 apps under Section 69A of the IT Act, and suspending or revoking 530,000 SIM cards and 80,848 IMEI numbers since July 2023.