Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch has flagged “cyber slavery” as an emerging form of human trafficking, warning that fake overseas job offers are being used to move victims across borders before forcing them into online criminal operations.
Senior police officials raised the issue at a Union Territory-level anti-human trafficking conference held at Tagore Hall in Srinagar on October 19.
The conference called for stronger cyber-investigation capabilities, better coordination between agencies and a shift from simply rescuing victims towards ensuring their long-term rehabilitation.
DIG Crime Branch Abdul Qayoom separately said victims have been rescued and brought back from countries including Thailand and Myanmar after being trapped through fraudulent overseas employment offers.
FCRF’s Chief AI Officer Certification Returns on November 14 to Prepare Future AI Leaders
Fake Foreign Jobs Can Lead to Cyber Slavery
Police said bogus recruitment agencies and consultancies increasingly attract job seekers with promises of high-paying work abroad.
Victims may believe they are travelling for legitimate jobs in places such as Dubai or Thailand.
Instead, some are allegedly moved through multiple countries, deprived of proper documentation and eventually taken to locations where their movement is restricted.
In the most severe cases, passports can be confiscated and victims forced to take part in online fraud.
Qayoom said some people promised employment in Dubai were allegedly diverted through countries including Thailand, making it more difficult for them to seek legal protection or return home.
Such cases form part of a wider phenomenon increasingly described as cyber slavery.
Victims are trafficked into scam compounds and forced to run investment frauds, romance scams, phishing operations or other online schemes.
The people carrying out the scams may themselves be victims of trafficking.
Crime Branch Wants Response to Go Beyond Rescue
Inspector General of Police, Crime J&K, Sarah Rizvi said anti-trafficking success should not be measured only through the number of people rescued or FIRs registered.
She said authorities also need to consider whether victims receive safety, dignity, access to justice and support needed to rebuild their lives.
That approach is significant because trafficking victims can return home with debt, psychological trauma and fear of criminal liability for activities they were forced to perform.
A person rescued from a cyber-fraud compound may have spent months carrying out scams under threat.
Investigators therefore need to distinguish between organisers who profit from the operation and people coerced into participating.
The conference brought together Crime Branch officers, members of the judiciary, Social Welfare Department officials, Anti-Human Trafficking Units, paramilitary personnel, NGOs and students.
It was organised on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs and J&K Police Headquarters.
Cyber Investigators Need to Follow Recruitment Networks
SSP JK4C Kamal Pal Singh Malhotra addressed the cyber-slavery threat during a technical session.
Officials stressed that trafficking investigations increasingly require digital evidence alongside conventional police work.
Recruitment may begin through social media advertisements, WhatsApp messages or online placement agencies.
Payments may be made digitally, tickets arranged online and communication with overseas handlers conducted through encrypted messaging platforms.
This means investigators may need to analyse mobile phones, bank transfers, IP information and social-media accounts to reconstruct how a victim was recruited and moved.
The conference also discussed missing-person investigations, legal provisions, victim identification and rehabilitation.
Experts from the University of Kashmir, University of Jammu and the Social Welfare Department participated in the sessions.
Police said coordination between district-level Anti-Human Trafficking Units and other agencies will be important in tracing suspects and identifying victims.
J&K Police Says Victims Have Been Repatriated From Southeast Asia
Qayoom said several victims linked to such trafficking networks had already been rescued and repatriated from Thailand and Myanmar.
He also said trafficking networks may recruit victims from multiple Indian states rather than remaining confined to one region.
That mirrors cases previously reported across India.
The420.in has documented networks in which Indians were offered legitimate jobs in Thailand before being transferred across the Myanmar border and forced to carry out cyber fraud.
Other investigations have revealed trafficking routes involving Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
One difficulty highlighted by J&K Police is that some victims are reluctant to cooperate after returning.
Fear, trauma, financial pressure or concern about their own involvement in fraud can make investigations harder.
Police said stronger victim support can therefore improve not only rehabilitation but also the prosecution of organised trafficking networks.
Crime Branch J&K said it plans to strengthen professional training, technology-enabled investigations and coordination with government bodies and civil society groups.
What this means for you:
Treat unusually lucrative overseas job offers with caution, especially when recruiters ask for large upfront payments or change the destination after travel begins. Verify the employer, recruiter and visa independently before leaving India.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
