The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has uncovered a trafficking network that allegedly transported Indian youths to Myanmar via Thailand, where they were coerced into operating cybercrime modules. The agency has so far arrested three local agents involved in the racket, which investigators describe as part of a “structured transnational cyber-trafficking system.”
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Network exposed after repatriation of nine youths
The case surfaced when nine youths from Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts were repatriated from Myanmar earlier this month. According to the STF, these individuals were living illegally in KK Park, a scam-hub enclave in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region controlled by organised criminal groups. They were rescued and brought back to India via Delhi before being reunited with their families in Uttarakhand.
During questioning, the youths provided detailed accounts of how they were lured by agents in India who promised high-paying “IT support jobs” abroad. Several admitted to paying large sums of money as deposits, visa charges and “job processing fees,” only to find themselves trapped in cybercrime centres once they reached Myanmar.
Recruitment initiated via WhatsApp, Telegram and in-person contacts
Initial investigations show that the traffickers used social media, WhatsApp, Telegram channels and direct meetings to approach their targets. Many victims were told that they would be placed in legitimate customer support roles in Bangkok, with quick visa approvals and lucrative salaries.
After collecting the money, the agents arranged legal travel to Bangkok on Thai tourist visas. It was from there that the victims were transported to the Thai–Myanmar border and taken illegally into Myawaddy, bypassing immigration controls.
Phones seized, passports confiscated; forced into online scams
Once in Myawaddy, the victims were housed in guarded compounds inside KK Park. According to their statements, the traffickers confiscated their passports and mobile phones, restricting all communication with family members.
Several victims recounted being forced to carry out:
- Fake customer support interactions
- Online investment fraud
- Romance scams
- Crypto-phishing operations
- Bot-based fraud modules
Refusal to work or failure to meet daily “targets” reportedly resulted in threats, beatings, and food deprivation. Some victims claimed they were warned that their families would be targeted if they attempted to escape.
Three agents arrested; more suspects under watch
STF Assistant Superintendent of Police confirmed the arrest of:
- Sunil Kumar, resident of Jaspur (Udham Singh Nagar)
- Nirav Chaudhary, resident of Kashipur
- Pradeep, resident of Kashipur
These names surfaced consistently during the victims’ statements. Authorities indicated that further arrests are likely, as the network appears to involve multiple layers of recruiters, sub-agents and travel facilitators across several states.
Cyber-trafficking networks spreading beyond Uttarakhand
Investigators have noted that similar networks are active in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka, targeting unemployed youth with the promise of overseas job placements. The STF believes the gang is linked to a wider pipeline that moves Indian citizens into Southeast Asia’s cybercrime hubs, where criminal syndicates run large-scale scam operations.
According to officials, India is now a major recruitment ground for these syndicates, which exploit economic vulnerabilities and the rising demand for foreign employment.
STF issues advisory: ‘Do not pay for overseas job promises’
The agency has urged the public to remain cautious about job offers received through social media, messaging apps or unregistered agents. It warned that:
- No legitimate overseas employer demands upfront payments
- Agents soliciting money for visas, security deposits or quick placements are red flags
- Terms like “IT job,” “customer support,” or “crypto operations” are increasingly being misused to mask trafficking networks
The STF is coordinating with central agencies and authorities in Thailand and Myanmar to trace the upper-level handlers of the racket.
