JAGTIAL: A gang allegedly involved in trafficking jobseekers to Laos under the pretext of lucrative call centre jobs in Bangkok and later forcing them into cyberfraud activities has been busted, with four individuals arrested on Friday. Officials seized four mobile phones, key documents and foreign travel-related papers from the accused.
According to police, the prime accused, Vijayender, went to Laos in 2024 and joined a cyberfraud network operating there. He was allegedly promised a commission of 13,000 Yuan (approximately `1.75 lakh) for each person recruited and sent to Laos. He then began recruiting people from Jagtial and nearby areas, collecting between `75,000 and `1.05 lakh from each.
The victims were initially sent to Bangkok, Thailand, on tourist visas and later illegally transported across the border to the Golden Triangle region of Laos through agents. In Laos, they were allegedly forced to work in cybercall centres operated under Chinese companies, where fake social media accounts were created using the names of American influencers to target Indians residing in the United States for online financial fraud. Police said the victims’ passports were confiscated and those who refused to cooperate were threatened.
Based on a complaint lodged by one of the victims, a case was registered at Jagtial rural police station and a look out circular (LOC) was issued against the prime accused. On Tuesday, Vijayender was apprehended at RGIA and brought to Jagtial for further investigation. During interrogation, the involvement of the other accused came to light, leading to their arrest.
A case has been registered and further probe is on.