Trafficking racket in Cambodia: two other agents arrested

VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam police on Sunday arrested two more officers involved in human trafficking, in which unemployed youth were lured by lucrative job opportunities in Chinese companies in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

The two accused have been identified as Kolukula Veerandranath and Kommu Praveen Kumar. Veerandranath, an engineering graduate from Gajuwaka, promised substantial commissions for sending computer systems operators to Cambodia.

Since 2023, Veerandranath has sent 17 young people with computer skills and good English speaking abilities to Cambodia under the pretext of legitimate employment. The youths were charged between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.2 lakh each, of which Rs 30,000 was retained by Veerandranath as commission.

During interrogations, it was revealed that these youths were forced to create fake profiles on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, using photos of attractive women to attract celebrities in India.

The scam involved persuading these targets to invest large sums of money in fraudulent companies with promises of high returns on trading and cryptocurrency investments. Once in Cambodia, the youths were sold to Chinese companies for $2,500 to $4,000 each, depending on their skills, with Veerandranath receiving between 30,000 and 40,000 rupees per person.

These companies then held the young people in dark rooms, forcing them to commit various cybercrimes using pre-written scripts. Those who resisted were tortured and deprived of food and water.

Young people only received 1% of the income from their activities, the rest being pocketed by the companies. Ill-gotten gains were often spent on entertainment, gambling and other illicit activities to keep young people entangled in the criminal network.

The racket came to light following an investigation by Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Dr A Ravi Shankar and Visakhapatnam City Cyber ​​Crime Inspector K Bhavani Prasad. Their efforts, notably Operation Cambodia, helped save 25 young victims of this scam.

Earlier, three constables – Chukka Rajesh Vijay Kumar, Mannena Gnaneswara Rao and Sabbavarapu Kondala Rao – were arrested in connection with human trafficking.

The scam affected people from various regions including Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Rajahmundry, Anantapur, Palasa, Tuni and Anakapalli. Unemployed youth from the states of Telangana and Kolkata have also been targeted.

The Visakhapatnam police have formed special teams to track down the main perpetrators of the network. Further, the police urged the victims to contact cybercrime inspector K Bhavani Prasad at 9490617917 or the control room at 0891-2565454, or the CP WhatsApp number at 9493336633.

For immediate reporting and possible recovery of lost money, victims can also dial 1930.