Thane: Police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have busted an alleged international cyber fraud network operating from Cambodia. The syndicate allegedly lured seven young men from Mumbra with promises of lucrative overseas jobs, sent them to Cambodia and then made them work at a cyber scam centre targeting Indian citizens through online fraud and gaming scams. According to police, the network was active between October 2025 and February 2026.
Mumbra police on Thursday registered a case against alleged main accused Mohammad Arafat Shaikh and seven others under Section 316(2), Section 318(4) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are now working to identify other members of the network, trace the operators of the overseas scam centre and investigate the financial transactions connected with the alleged cyber fraud.
According to the FIR, Mohammad Arafat Shaikh allegedly promised lucrative foreign employment to seven young men from Mumbra. The men reportedly approached him hoping to secure better-paying jobs overseas. Shaikh allegedly took them to a cyber scam centre in Kampot, Cambodia, where they were allegedly made to participate in online fraud operations after arriving in the country.
The investigation has revealed the alleged involvement of a network of foreign and Indian handlers in running the cyber scam centre in Kampot. Police have identified the alleged roles of Kevin Hech, Bihar native Motilal Mandal and a Bengaluru-based man known as ‘Anna’. They are accused of being involved in operating the centre and allegedly directing people working there to participate in cyber fraud activities.
According to police, the seven men were allegedly made to target Indian citizens after reaching Cambodia. The alleged syndicate created fake Facebook accounts and used them to establish contact with potential victims. The network also allegedly targeted Indians through online gaming-related fraud. Officials said the group is suspected of defrauding victims of substantial amounts of money.
Investigators suspect that recruiting young people by promising overseas employment was an important part of the network’s operating method. People looking for jobs abroad were allegedly offered attractive salaries and better career opportunities. After reaching Cambodia, they were allegedly placed in cyber scam operations whose actual nature may not have been fully disclosed to them before their departure.
Police are now investigating who arranged the travel of the seven men from Mumbra to Cambodia. Investigators are also examining who assisted them with accommodation, transportation and access to the cyber scam centre after they reached the country. Authorities are trying to determine whether other Indian agents were involved in recruiting young people under the guise of overseas employment.
The police have also begun examining the financial transactions linked to the alleged scam centre. Investigators are tracing the bank accounts, digital channels and other routes allegedly used to transfer the proceeds of cyber fraud. Officials believe that following the money trail could help identify other members of the network and establish links with alleged operators based overseas.
The case highlights the changing nature of organised cybercrime, in which young people may allegedly be recruited through employment offers before being pushed into coordinated online fraud operations. Indian citizens have previously been reported to have become trapped in cyber scam centres operating in parts of Southeast Asia. Such operations have been linked to alleged social media fraud, fake investment schemes, online gaming scams and other forms of digital crime.
Renowned cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said networks that recruit young people in the name of overseas employment and subsequently push them into cyber fraud are significantly more serious than conventional job scams. According to him, investigations in such cases need to examine the entire chain, including recruitment, travel arrangements, digital identities, scam centres and financial transactions. People receiving overseas job offers should independently verify the employer, visa, employment contract and recruitment agency before travelling.
Mumbra police are continuing to investigate the role of alleged main accused Mohammad Arafat Shaikh and the seven other people named in the case. Investigators are also attempting to identify the operators of the Cambodia-based cyber scam centre, their overseas contacts and the alleged financial network supporting the operation. Police hope that analysis of digital evidence and financial transactions will reveal further links to the international cyber fraud syndicate.
