Police said jobseekers from Gujarat and other states were lured with promises of high-paying overseas employment, taken to Thailand, and then illegally transported across the Thai–Myanmar border
Ahmedabad: The Surat City Cyber Crime Cell has busted an international racket that trafficked Indians and foreign nationals to Myanmar and forced them into “cyber slavery” — a form of trafficking where victims are compelled to work in online fraud operations under threat, without freedom of movement or the ability to leave, officials said on Monday. Three accused have been arrested and a local court has granted four days’ police remand, they added.
‘Cyber slavery’ is a form of trafficking where victims are compelled to work in online fraud operations under threat, without freedom of movement or the ability to leave (Representational image)
Police identified the main accused as Neepesh alias Nirav Lavush Chaudhary, 24, who worked as an HR manager with K.K. Pak, a Chinese-run cybercrime company in Myanmar. He is originally from Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand, has studied up to Class 12, and had dropped out of a BCA course. The second accused, Preet Rasikbhai Kamani, 21, originally hailing from Rajkot and presently residing in Zirakpur, Punjab, worked as a recruitment agent. He has studied up to Class 12. The third accused, Ashish Ramanlal Rana, 37, is from Tapi district and worked as a visa agent in Dubai. He has studied up to Class 10.
Investigators said Chaudhary first travelled to Myanmar in 2023, joined a Chinese company as a customer chat assistant, and was trained to run online frauds targeting people across several countries. He later became HR with K.K. Pak and started recruiting workers on commission basis. Kamani travelled to Myanmar in 2024 via a travel agent, joined K.K. Pak, and helped recruit Indians and other nationals. Rana sourced recruits from Gujarat on a commission basis, arranging three persons.
Police said jobseekers from Gujarat and other states were lured with promises of high-paying overseas employment, taken to Thailand, and then illegally transported across the Thai–Myanmar border. Once in Myanmar, they were held in compounds with restricted movement, forced to work long hours in call centre-style operations, and trained to run online frauds — including creating fake social media profiles, posing as women, contacting wealthy individuals on Instagram, and luring them into fake investment schemes.
Each recruit fetched the syndicate a commission of about ₹2.5–3 lakh. Chaudhary allegedly trafficked 36 Indians, one Pakistani, two Sri Lankans, and one Ethiopian, according to a police official. Kamani arranged nine Indians, he added.
An FIR has been registered at Surat Cyber Crime Police Station and the arrested accused have been charged of cheating, wrongful confinement, human trafficking of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
According to police, Nirav Chaudhary had travelled abroad multiple times since February 2023, including to Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Nepal. Kamani also travelled to Dubai, Thailand, and Myanmar between October 2024 and August 2025. Rana had travelled across 22 countries, including Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, before his arrest.
Police said technical analysis and fieldwork led them to Punjab, where the three accused were picked up. The investigation is now focused on identifying the Chinese handlers, including those linked to K.K. Pak, and tracking cryptocurrency transactions used to pay commissions.