HYDERABAD: Nearly a month after a youth from Sircilla was rescued from a cyber fraud camp in Cambodia, the Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB) told TNIE that the case will soon be transferred to the specialised wing and that they are awaiting a final report from the Sircilla police.
In response, the Sircilla police revealed that the case file has been signed and is ready to be transferred to the TSCSB. “As it is a sensitive case involving inter-country crime, the TSCSB had requested a transfer of the case,” said a top official and added, “In a day or two, the case file will reach the cyber security bureau.”
Earlier in April, TNIE reported that a 27-year-old man from Sircilla, who travelled to Cambodia seeking employment as a software operator, fell prey to a job fraud and was forced to work at a Chinese-operated cyber fraud call centre in Sihanoukville. After being trapped in the camp for over three months, he was rescued by the Sircilla police in coordination with the Cambodian authorities.
The survivor of the job fraud told the officials that there are as many as 500 to 600 Indians trapped in the cyber fraud call centre. He also identified that there is one other victim from Jagtial.
Based on the survivor’s statement, the Sircilla police carried out investigations and arrested two local agents, who were involved in sending the job aspirants to foreign countries.
The police have now issued Look Out Circulars against two other agents, who are allegedly responsible for contacting the Chinese nationals and trapping the victims.
Meanwhile, sources from the Indian embassy in Cambodia told TNIE that there has been an increase in online cybercrime scams of this kind since 2022 and that “the Embassy has so far facilitated the rescue of about 335 nationals”.
The officials admitted that this predominantly Chinese-operated scam that lured individuals to travel abroad with false promises of employment, used Cambodia, Laos and Thailand as their operational bases.
Thereafter, the Embassy said they have been issuing multiple advisories cautioning Indian nationals intending to visit Cambodia for employment to do so only by authorised agents and double check that they are not travelling on a ‘Tourist Visa’ to seek employment.
Meanwhile, sources told TNIE that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre is also working on the case and is likely to send a team to Cambodia for further investigation.
Despite multiple attempts, the TNIE was unable to reach the concerned I4C officials investigating the case.