UP STF Busts Chinese-Run Cyber Slavery Racket; Hundreds of Indians Still Trapped in Cambodia

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) has dismantled a gang involved in a sophisticated extortion racket with connections extending to Cambodia. Five key members of the gang, who posed as officials from the CBI, Narcotics Bureau, and Crime Branch to conduct “Digital Arrests” and extort money, were arrested on November 14, 2024, in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The gang’s modus operandi involved contacting victims and falsely claiming that drugs were found in parcels registered under their names. By posing as CBI, NCB, or ED officers, the criminals would threaten victims with immediate arrest and serious legal consequences. To avoid these fabricated charges, victims were coerced into transferring money to accounts controlled by the gang.

The arrested individuals were nabbed at a hotel near the bus station in Gurgaon, Haryana. Among those arrested are Pankaj Suresh, Sagar Singh, Sunny Verma, Shailendra Mahore, and Amar Singh. They are believed to be part of a network that operated across multiple states, targeting people by intimidating them with threats of arrest under fabricated charges. The team seized 53 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, Aadhaar cards, bank passbooks, and other incriminating items, including WhatsApp screenshots detailing bank transactions used for fraud. Investigations revealed that the gang operated on an international scale, luring Indian, Nepalese, and Pakistani nationals to Cambodia under the guise of high-paying call center jobs. Once there, these individuals were forced into cyber slavery, carrying out fraudulent activities on behalf of cybercriminal syndicates, with severe threats if they attempted to leave.

The gang lured account holders into becoming “mules” by promising them high commissions. Account holders received 30 percent of the fraudulent funds, while the remaining 70 percent was converted into cryptocurrency and routed to handlers in China. To maintain remote control over these accounts, the gang installed malicious APK files on the mobile phones of account holders, enabling cybercriminals to operate these devices remotely and initiate transactions without detection.

This cybercrime operation was initiated after a complaint by Dr. Ashok Solanki from Lucknow, who had been approached by fraudsters claiming to be officers from various agencies, demanding money in exchange for clearing his name in alleged investigations. Upon analysis, it was discovered that the fraudsters were linked to over 500 cybercrime cases across India, with financial transactions totaling approximately Rs 8,16,44,785.

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Investigations revealed that the gang used mule accounts and coordinated with accomplices to transfer money through a network of fraudulent accounts. They lured account holders with promises of high commissions and exploited them as “mules” for transactions. This racket has roots in cities across India, including Mumbai and Delhi, and had connections with criminals operating from international locations.

One of the main accused, Pankaj, disclosed during interrogation that he had been recruited for this operation in March 2024, and he was sent to Cambodia along with hundred other and were asked to impersonate ED, CBI and NCB officers to trap gullible victims. He was assigned various tasks and coerced into handing over control of his bank accounts. Other gang members used his accounts to conduct fraudulent transactions and later transferred funds to foreign accounts.

The UP STF is continuing to investigate this cybercrime ring, focusing on tracing other members and identifying more victims. This case underlines the risks of sharing personal details and the need for public awareness about cyber fraud.