Suspecting the presence of many victims from Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam, and Telangana, in the human trafficking racket being operated from Cambodia, the Visakhapatnam City Police, which had recently busted the racket, on Tuesday launched helpline numbers to enable the victims trapped in Cambodia, or their family members, contact the police for assistance.
They can contact Circle Inspector (Cyber Crimes) over 9490617917, Commissioner of Police on WhatsApp number 9493336633, or the Control Room number (0891) 2565454.
In a press release, the police, while referring to the latest developments in the case, said that around 300 Indians had revolted against their handlers in Cambodia, and caused large- scale riots in Jinbei & Compound, Sihanoukvile, Cambodia, on Monday, which was a hub for cybercrime frauds.
Many of them were urging the Indian authorities to look into their fate, and seeking their safe repatriation to India, the release said.
The city police had also contacted the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of External Affairs, to bring the trapped victims back safely, as most of them were lodged in jail after the Monday revolt and riots.
“Information, if any, of those jailed after Monday’s incident can be shared with the police for necessary help,” the police said.
Special teams
Meanwhile, the police constituted seven special teams to probe further into the case. They were being headed by Fakkeerappa Kaginelli, Joint Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam. He would be assisted by K. Bhavani Prasad, Circle Inspector (Cyber Crime) and his team, the release said.
Basing on a complaint from a victim, the police had busted the international racket that was into luring hundreds of unemployed Indian nationals, particularly youth, and coercing them into committing cybercrimes on Indian citizens from Cambodia. Nearly 150 of the trafficked youth were said to be from both the Telugu States, the police said.
The release further said that the unemployed youth had been lured in the name of providing data entry operator jobs in Singapore, and latter trafficked to Cambodia via Singapore or Bangkok.
In Cambodia, the youth were allegedly held captive, tortured and forced to commit cybercrimes on Indians. “Their passports have allegedly been snatched and they are not allowed to speak to their families. These gullible youths are trained to handle specialised cybercrimes such as FedEx Scams, Stock Market Frauds, task game frauds, and various other type of cyber frauds on Indian citizens,” the police said.
The agents who recruited the youths on behalf of their Cambodia handlers were paid hefty commissions, the release said.
The prime accused, who are local agents, were identified as Chukka Rajesh Vijay Kumar, Mannena Gnaneswara Rao and Sabbavarapu Kondala Rao. They were interrogated, and based on their statements, the names of the trafficked youth were being collected, the press release said.
The city police said the Embassy authorities issued a communique stating that they were pursuing the matter with the Cambodian authorities. They opened a temporary control room and dispatched a team of officials to asist stranded Indians.
Published - May 21, 2024 09:45 pm IST
