Indian Youth Sold into Cyber Slavery in Cambodia; Two Arrested in Muzaffarnagar, Mastermind at Large

Muzaffarnagar, UP: The Muzaffarnagar Police have uncovered a major international human trafficking and cyber fraud network that was sending Indian youth to Cambodia under the pretext of attractive jobs, only to force them into cyber slavery. Two members of the gang have been arrested, while the main mastermind remains at large.

How the Gang Operated
According to the complaint filed by Shahabuddin from Tawali village, his son Wasim, along with several other young men, was lured to Cambodia with promises of high-paying computer operator jobs. Upon arrival, their passports were confiscated, and they were handed over to cyber criminals linked to China and Pakistan. The victims were coerced into conducting cyber fraud targeting Indian citizens and were subjected to mental and physical abuse, including electric shocks, if they refused.

Wasim, who went to Cambodia on December 22, managed to escape on January 10 and returned to India. He revealed that about 15 other Indian youth are still trapped there, with the gang threatening them to either recruit more victims or pay large sums of money before being allowed to return home.

Arrests and Evidence Seized
Acting on the complaint, the Cyber Police, along with the SP Rural, CO Budhana, and the Cyber Crime team, launched a joint investigation. Two suspects, As Mohammad and Javed, residents of Shahpur, were arrested. Police recovered three mobile phones and a laptop from them. The gang’s primary accused, Anwar Ahmed Ansari, alias Shabri, remains absconding, with intensified efforts underway for his capture.

Scope of the Crime
SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma said the case is international in nature, prompting coordination with intelligence agencies and the IB. Efforts are ongoing to safely bring back the trapped Indian youth. Preliminary investigations suggest that the network has conducted cyber fraud worth crores of rupees, with Muzaffarnagar alone linked to potential losses of around ₹50 crore.

Police also identified a Delhi-based unregistered consultancy that was involved in sending youth abroad, and investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of the network across other states including Gorakhpur, Odisha, and Meerut.

Appeal to Youth
Returning from Cambodia, Wasim urged young people not to fall for overseas job promises. He warned that in countries like Cambodia, Indians are forced to defraud their fellow citizens. “I realized there is no country like our India,” he said.