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The Economic Times
The Economic Times

NIA chargesheets five including absconding kingpin of Cambodia-linked human trafficking, cyber slavery racket

New Delhi, The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted five persons, including the alleged mastermind, in a case related to trafficking and cyber slavery of Indian youths in Cambodia, officials said on Saturday.

The alleged kingpin of the human trafficking syndicate -- Anand Kumar Singh alias Munna Singh, who is absconding -- along with four co-accused, have been named in the chargesheet filed before the NIA special court in Bihar's Patna on Friday, they said.

The NIA investigation has found Anand to be the kingpin, involved in recruitment of youth through various sub-agents/travel agents in India.

He was working with associates in Cambodia to illegally traffic the victims to that country, an NIA statement issued here on Saturday said.

Anand was charging USD 2,000-3,000 for each youth 'sold' to a fake company, it said.

The accused were involved in luring Indian youths to Cambodia on the pretext of legitimate jobs and handsome salaries, as part of an organised human trafficking syndicate.

Upon their arrival in Cambodia, the victims' passports were seized and they were forced to work for "scam companies", and any resistance on their part was met with mental and physical torture, including electric shocks, forceful confinement, denial of food and water etc, the NIA said.

Three of the chargesheeted co-accused -- Abhay Nath Dubey and Rohit Yadav, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, and Abhiranjan Kumar, a resident of Bihar -- were arrested in February this year on their arrival in the national capital from Cambodia.

The fifth, identified as Prahlad Kumar Singh, is out on bail.

Investigation to trace other members of the syndicate and unravel the complete conspiracy in the case is continuing, the statement said.

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