The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted five persons, including the alleged mastermind, in a case related to the trafficking and cyber slavery of Indian youths in Cambodia, officials said on Saturday.
The chargesheet was filed before a special NIA court in Patna on Friday against the alleged kingpin of the human trafficking syndicate, Anand Kumar Singh alias Munna Singh, who is currently absconding, along with four co-accused.
According to the NIA, investigations revealed that Anand was the main organiser of the racket and was involved in recruiting youths through various sub-agents and travel agents across India.
The agency said he worked in coordination with associates based in Cambodia to illegally traffic victims to the Southeast Asian country.
Anand was charging USD 2,000-3,000 for each youth 'sold' to a fake company, it said.
The accused were involved in luring Indian youths to Cambodia on the pretext of legitimate jobs and handsome salaries, as part of an organised human trafficking syndicate.
Upon their arrival in Cambodia, the victims' passports were seized and they were forced to work for "scam companies", and any resistance on their part was met with mental and physical torture, including electric shocks, forceful confinement, denial of food and water etc, the NIA said.
Three of the chargesheeted co-accused -- Abhay Nath Dubey and Rohit Yadav, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, and Abhiranjan Kumar, a resident of Bihar -- were arrested in February this year on their arrival in the national capital from Cambodia.
The fifth, identified as Prahlad Kumar Singh, is out on bail.
Investigation to trace other members of the syndicate and unravel the complete conspiracy in the case is continuing, the statement said.
(With inputs from PTI)
