New Delhi [India], The National Investigation Agency on Friday charged five people, including two foreigners, in a major case with international links, tightening its noose around human trafficking and cyber fraud syndicates operating inside and outside from the country.
Two of the accused, Jerry Jacob and Godfrey Alvares, are detained and three others, Sunny Gonsalves, as well as foreigners Niu Niu and Elvis Du, remain at large.
The chargesheet filed before the NIA special court in Mumbai has exposed the involvement of several foreign nationals in the case, in which the agency is continuing its investigations.
According to NIA investigations, the accused targeted young Indians who were proficient in computers and the English language, and forced them to work in fraudulent call centers on tourist visas for pecuniary gains.
"The victims were being recruited, transported and transferred from India to the Golden Triangle EEZ in the Lao People's Democratic Republic via Thailand. Upon arrival, the victims were trained in the use of Facebook, Telegram, the basics of cryptocurrencies and the handling of applications created by the scam company," the NIA said.
"The powerful syndicates also used victim control tactics in case any of the trafficked youth refused to continue online fraud work. These tactics included isolation and restriction of movement, confiscation of personal travel documents, and physical abuse , arbitrary fines, death threats, rape threats in the case of women, threats of arrest in the false drug case at the local police station, etc."
The fraud was carried out with complete audacity, and the accused even deleted data from the victims' mobile phones to destroy evidence, the counter-terrorism agency claimed.
Victims faced threats if they approached the embassy or local authorities concerned, he mentioned, noting that "in some cases, victims were held in fraudulent compounds, confined without food for 3 to 7 days and tortured if they refused to work." ". ".
"They were only released after receiving extortion payments, ranging between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1,80,000, or intervention of the Indian Embassy in the Lao People's Democratic Republic on complaints lodged by the victims," the NIA said.
The agency further added that investigations are underway to uncover the entire fraud and identify the other accused involved.
Two of the accused, Jerry Jacob and Godfrey Alvares, are detained and three others, Sunny Gonsalves, as well as foreigners Niu Niu and Elvis Du, remain at large.
The chargesheet filed before the NIA special court in Mumbai has exposed the involvement of several foreign nationals in the case, in which the agency is continuing its investigations.
According to NIA investigations, the accused targeted young Indians who were proficient in computers and the English language, and forced them to work in fraudulent call centers on tourist visas for pecuniary gains.
"The victims were being recruited, transported and transferred from India to the Golden Triangle EEZ in the Lao People's Democratic Republic via Thailand. Upon arrival, the victims were trained in the use of Facebook, Telegram, the basics of cryptocurrencies and the handling of applications created by the scam company," the NIA said.
"The powerful syndicates also used victim control tactics in case any of the trafficked youth refused to continue online fraud work. These tactics included isolation and restriction of movement, confiscation of personal travel documents, and physical abuse , arbitrary fines, death threats, rape threats in the case of women, threats of arrest in the false drug case at the local police station, etc."
The fraud was carried out with complete audacity, and the accused even deleted data from the victims' mobile phones to destroy evidence, the counter-terrorism agency claimed.
Victims faced threats if they approached the embassy or local authorities concerned, he mentioned, noting that "in some cases, victims were held in fraudulent compounds, confined without food for 3 to 7 days and tortured if they refused to work." ". ".
"They were only released after receiving extortion payments, ranging between Rs 30,000 and Rs 1,80,000, or intervention of the Indian Embassy in the Lao People's Democratic Republic on complaints lodged by the victims," the NIA said.
The agency further added that investigations are underway to uncover the entire fraud and identify the other accused involved.
