Mumbai Woman Arrested for Sending People As Cyber Slaves to Cambodia
Mumbai Woman Arrested for Sending People As Cyber Slaves to Cambodia
A 30-year-old woman from Mumbai has been arrested by the Cyber Security Bureau of Telangana for allegedly trafficking young people from India to Cambodia, where they were reportedly forced into cyber slavery.
Cyber slaves are individuals who are misled into relocating abroad with promises of better job opportunities, only to be trapped in roles as online fraudsters in restricted environments.
Reports indicate that the woman received Rs. 30,000 for each person she sent to Cambodia, enticing them with the allure of lucrative job offers.
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau in Hyderabad has identified the arrested individual as Priyanka Shivkumar Siddu, a resident of Chembur, Mumbai, and has confirmed that legal proceedings have been initiated against her.
Authorities have disclosed that Priyanka previously worked at a licensed overseas job agency called Maxwell before deciding to establish her own agency, despite lacking the necessary licenses. Operating without legal authorization, she deceived job seekers by offering them visit visas, asserting that these could later be converted into job visas.
As her agency expanded, she developed a connection with Narayana, who operated a similar agency in Mumbai. He introduced her to Jithender Shah alias Amer Khan, the director of a Chinese-owned company called Zhan Zei, Bureau officials said. Narayana travelled to Cambodia and shared information about data entry job openings with Priyanka. Intrigued, Priyanka opted to investigate further and was offered a commission of $500 (approximately ₹42,000) for each candidate she referred.
Priyanka aggressively marketed her services through newspaper ads and social media, advertising lucrative job opportunities in Cambodia. She earned ₹30,000 for each candidate she assisted, managed their visa applications, and sent them to Cambodia.
Cambodia has emerged as a major hub for this form of exploitation. Many Indians travel to Cambodia through Thailand, with some fully aware of the risks involved.
Upon arrival, their passports are taken away, leaving them stranded and informed of a supposed contractual obligation to stay. In some cases, they are even ‘transferred’ to other agents for a fee.
Authorities appear to be recognizing the gravity of the situation and are implementing measures to combat this issue.
In July, the Indian embassy in Phnom Penh announced the successful rescue of 14 Indians who had become entangled in cybercrime activities in Cambodia. The embassy stated that, in collaboration with Cambodian authorities, it had facilitated the rescue and repatriation of over 650 Indians who had fallen victim to these scams thus far.
