Cyber Slavery: 12 agents arrested by Tamil Nadu police

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police said that the CB-CID, which has taken over investigations in ‘Cyber Slavery’ cases, have arrested 12 agents recently.

They are accused of sending gullible youngsters to southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to work at scam compounds. The youngsters are then forced to engage in cyber frauds like the Fedex scam, investment scam, illegal lending apps, matrimonial scam, romantic scamming among others.

In the last 14 months (January 2023 and February 2024), scam money taken out of India amounted to Rs 10,188 crore, an official statement from the TN police had said, citing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre) report. So far, 6 cases were registered across the State, out of which seven cases are in Thanjavur and Tiruchy ranges.

Thanjavur CB-CID arrested two agents – P Murugan and V Sundararaju for sending seven victims to Cambodia. Five others – V Rahamath Nisha of Tiruchy, N Sivakumar of Nagercoil, R Aravindh of Chennai, K Kannadasan of Mayiladuthurai and S Sathaiya of Ramanathapuram were arrested by the Tiruvarur CB-CID for conspiring and sending 91 persons from all over the country to Cambodia to work in scam compounds.

Additionally, three illegal recruiting agents – B Saravanakumar, his brother, B Santha Kumar, and K Mageshwaran from Theni were arrested by the Nagapattinam CB-CID. In cases registered in Ariyalur, two agents – T Nitish Kumar and H Haji Mohammed, have been arrested and remanded, police said.