Cyber Crime
29,466 Indians Missing in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar Suspected to Be Victims of Cyber Slavery
In a disturbing revelation, official data has highlighted a troubling trend: 29,466 Indians who traveled to Southeast Asia—specifically Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam—on visitor visas between January 2022 and May 2024 have failed to return.
The majority of these individuals are between the ages of 20 and 39, with males making up the bulk of the cases (21,182). Alarmingly, over one-third of the missing persons hail from just three states—Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Thailand, in particular, is the focal point of this crisis, with the country alone accounting for more than 69 percent of the disappearances—20,450 individuals in total.
The Bureau of Immigration, under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has compiled this data as part of a wider investigation into what has been described as a form of “cyber slavery.” Reports have emerged that many of these individuals are being lured to Southeast Asia under the guise of lucrative job opportunities, only to be coerced into participating in cybercrime operations, including fraudulent schemes, under duress.
In response to the crisis, the Indian government has set up a high-level, inter-ministerial task force, which includes representatives from the MHA, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The task force has been tasked with conducting ground-level verifications across states to locate the missing individuals and prevent further exploitation. Additionally, authorities are looking into strengthening systems within India’s immigration, banking, and telecom sectors to better detect and prevent such activities.
States and Airports Most Affected
The state-level breakdown of missing individuals reveals that besides Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (2,946), Kerala (2,659), and Delhi (2,140) also report significant numbers of unaccounted-for citizens. Other states, including Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Telangana, and Rajasthan, have also seen hundreds of their residents go missing.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport stands out as the primary point of departure, with 12,493 individuals leaving from the capital’s airport. Other major hubs, including Mumbai (4,699), Kolkata (2,395), and Kochi (2,296), have also seen substantial numbers of people leave the country without returning.
A Growing Threat of ‘Cyber Slavery’
The issue of missing Indians in Southeast Asia has raised significant concerns over what has been described as a form of ‘cyber slavery.’ Reports have surfaced about thousands of Indians being forced into cybercrime operations, primarily centered around online fraud.
Victims are reportedly promised data entry jobs or other legitimate work but are instead coerced into carrying out fraudulent activities, including promoting fake cryptocurrency schemes.
Since early 2023, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has noted a sharp rise in cybercrimes originating from Southeast Asia. It is believed that 45 percent of the cybercrimes targeting Indian citizens are traced back to this region.
Data collected from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shows that roughly 100,000 cybercrime complaints have been filed in the past year alone.
One of the key tactics used by these criminal networks is to force victims into creating fake social media profiles, often using stolen images of women, in order to lure unsuspecting individuals into fraudulent investment schemes. Once the targets invest, they are either blocked or “ghosted,” leaving them defrauded and without recourse.
Task Force Identifies Key Gaps
The inter-ministerial panel investigating this issue has identified several gaps in India’s existing systems that have allowed these crimes to flourish. These include weaknesses in the immigration process, banking systems, and telecommunications infrastructure, which have inadvertently facilitated the exploitation of Indian citizens abroad.
The Bureau of Immigration has been directed to establish mechanisms that will help identify individuals who may be at risk before they leave the country. Additionally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is working on measures to curb the outflow of individuals at risk of being trafficked or coerced into illegal activities.
In recent meetings, government officials have emphasized the need for robust systems to prevent such cases in the future. Security agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are also working in close coordination to track down the perpetrators behind these transnational crime rings.
Survivors Share Their Harrowing Stories
Some of the individuals who have managed to escape these criminal operations have shared their traumatic experiences. One survivor recounted how he was lured to Cambodia under the false promise of a data entry job, only to have his passport confiscated upon arrival.
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“We were told we would be working in data entry, but instead, we were forced to scam people into investing in fake cryptocurrency platforms. If we refused, we were threatened or beaten,” he explained.
These testimonies have shed light on the harsh realities of human trafficking and cybercrime networks operating in Southeast Asia, prompting calls for greater efforts to tackle the root causes of these crimes and to provide more support to the victims.
Calls for Greater International Cooperation
As investigations continue, the Indian government is urging caution among those seeking employment abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia. Authorities are calling for increased cooperation between India and its Southeast Asian counterparts to dismantle these criminal networks and prevent further exploitation.
The growing trend of ‘cyber slavery’ and the exploitation of Indian nationals has highlighted the need for stronger preventive measures, both at home and abroad, to protect vulnerable individuals from falling prey to these unscrupulous operations.