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New Delhi, May 28, 2024 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested five people allegedly involved in human trafficking and cyber fraud syndicates.

According to an official statement, the arrests were made on Monday following extensive joint searches by the NIA and state police forces in several places in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.

NIA investigations revealed that the accused was involved in an organized trafficking syndicate that lured and trafficked Indian youth to foreign countries on the basis of false promises of legal employment.

“The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at several locations in six states and Union Territories as part of joint operations with local police in a human trafficking case involving forced cybercrimes that led to the arrest of five accused persons,” an official said. statement read.

The accused have been identified as Manish Hingu of Vadodara, Prahlad Singh of Gopalganj, Nabialam Ray of southwest Delhi, Balwant Kataria of Gurugram and Sartaj Singh of Chandigarh.

According to the NIA statement, the agency carried out a coordinated operation with state police forces and central intelligence agencies at all locations. The searches led to the seizure of several incriminating items, including documents, digital devices, handwritten registers, several passports, false letters of employment abroad, etc.

Besides, 8 new FIRs have been registered by police forces of different states and union territories.

The youths were forced to work in fake call centers in Laos, the Golden Triangle SEZ and Cambodia, among others, as part of a racket, controlled and operated mainly by foreign nationals.

“They were forced to undertake illegal activities online, such as credit card fraud, investing in cryptocurrencies using fake apps, honey trapping, etc.,” the statement said.

“Investigations revealed that the arrested accused were coordinating with traffickers operating across the international border to facilitate the illegal passage of Indian youth from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to the Laos SEZ. They were working to demand for overseas based agents belonging to well established organized unions active in several districts of Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, Gujrat, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana etc. .

“These syndicates were further connected to agents based in other parts of India, as well as in foreign countries like UAE, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos SEZ, etc.,” adds -he.

The NIA had taken over the case from Mumbai Police on May 13, 2024. It found that the human trafficking syndicate was not operating only in Mumbai but had links with other facilitators and traffickers in various regions of the country and across the border.

The investigation is ongoing and details are awaited. (ANI)