Goa Police Nab Three in Indian Trafficking for Cyber-Scam Call Centres

A Kazakh National of Chinese Descent Among the Arrested

According to a report by The Times of India on Thursday, the Goa Police have arrested three individuals, including a Kazakh national of Chinese origin, for allegedly trafficking Indians to cyber-scam call centres in Thailand.

The Three Suspects

• 22-year-old Adithya Ravichandra from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
• 36-year-old Rupnarayan Gupta from Mumbai, Maharashtra
• 22-year-old Talaniti Nulaxi, a citizen of Kazakhstan

These individuals are believed to have run a travel agency that deceived people with false job promises abroad, leading them into cyber slavery.

Chinese Crime Syndicates and Cyber Crime Centres

In January, Scroll published a series of in-depth reports about Chinese crime syndicates managing cyber crime centres from Southeast Asia, primarily in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. These sophisticated “scam compounds” employ thousands of people, many of whom are from India, who are lured with fake job offers and then forced to scam individuals back home.

Nulaxi’s Capture and Investigation

Nulaxi was detained at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday, the same day a look-out notice was issued for him as he attempted to leave the country, according to Hindustan Times.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta stated that the gang was also involved in hiring victims for committing forced financial fraud using social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, and Zoom. The gang conducted meetings and interviews on Zoom to discuss their operations.

The police are investigating the possibility that this group was considering establishing call centres similar to those in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar in India, Nepal, and other countries.

Nulaxi’s Actions in Bengaluru

Nulaxi stayed in Bengaluru for five days, where he was reportedly in talks to hire space in multi-storey buildings for the same purpose, according to Goa’s Director General of Police Alok Kumar.

Kumar also mentioned that the group was involved in recruiting young women with promises of “work from home” jobs, only to later exploit them in honey traps and other forms of extortion.

Honey trapping refers to a person being enticed into revealing information through romantic or sexual relationships.