From Gujarat to the China-Myanmar border, authorities have uncovered a complex scheme that traps job seekers and forces them to work in cybercrime showing how far and cruel human trafficking networks can be.
The Route to Laukkai: From Promised Jobs to Trapped Victims
What began as promises of lucrative employment in Thailand ended in misery and confinement for dozens of victims from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia. According to Surat police, traffickers charged hopeful candidates 3,000 USDT or Rs 3–4 lakh each and ferried them not to promised worksites, but by bus to Laukkai, a lawless town along the China-Myanmar border infamous for cyber fraud, online gambling, and human trafficking. Investigations revealed the area is controlled by Chinese syndicates and serves as a hub where trafficked youths, including many from Gujarat, were forced into global cybercrime operations.
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Unraveling the Syndicate: Arrests and Modus Operandi
The racket came to light after a raid at Penta Homes society in Zirakpur, Punjab, where police arrested three key suspects: Nipender alias Neerav Chaudhary of Uttarakhand, Preet Kamani of Rajkot, and Ashish Rana, a Surat-based visa agent. Chaudhary, a former HR manager with a Chinese firm, coordinated with Kamani and Rana to identify, recruit, and traffic victims. Kamani and Rana received commissions of Rs 37,000 per referral, while collecting fees from the victims themselves. Police say candidates were promised salaries of Rs 70,000 to 1 lakh a month, but on arrival in Thailand, were transported to Myanmar and held captive, often demanded ransoms or replacements if found unsatisfactory.
Scale of Trafficking and Evidence Seized
During their operation, Surat police seized four mobile phones and a laptop from the accused, uncovering data on over 40 victims trafficked via the Thailand-Myanmar corridor. The list included individuals from multiple nationalities—Indians as well as Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Ethiopians—underscoring the criminal network’s vast footprint. Officers indicate that at least nine persons from Gujarat alone were routed through these channels, and the racket had been active for at least 18 months before the raid shed light on its operations.
Human Cost and Legal Response
Authorities have charged 11 people so far, using sections related to cheating, human trafficking, wrongful confinement, and criminal conspiracy. The revelations place Laukkai at the center of a new wave of exploitative enterprise. Victims, lured by false pretenses, were confined and compelled to work in cyber-fraud ‘factories’ operated by Chinese syndicates. As police continue to hunt for more suspects and free trapped victims, the case reveals the harrowing human cost of global cybercrime—and the complex transnational infrastructure enabling it.