Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam police have busted a gang that offered jobs to unemployed men and women in southeast Asia promising lucrative salaries. However, they ended up working for Chinese companies that forced them to commit cybercrimes.
Briefing media here on Saturday, Vizag police commissioner Ravi Shankar Ayyanar said the recruiters attracted men and women from Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Rajahmundry, Anantapur, Palasa, Tuni, Anakapalli and Kolkata, promising them jobs abroad as data entry operators with lucrative salaries and good living conditions.
Once they agreed, the men and women ended up being sent to countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangkok. There they ended up working for Chinese companies, which trained them for 7–10 days and forced them into engaging in cybercrimes at an average salary of $600 per month.
Any resistance invited severe punishment, including torture and deprivation of food and water.
Ayyanar disclosed that approximately 5,000 people from Andhra Pradesh had fallen victim to this scam over the past two years.
The illegal racket came to light after Botcha Sankar, an ex-Navy employee, filed a complaint through the 1930 cybercrimes helpline. Sankar's complaint had been based on the account of a victim, who had managed to escape.
Following the complaint, Visakhapatnam police arrested Chukka Rajesh, the ringleader, and his associates Sabbavarapu Kondala Rao and Mannena Gnaneshwar Rao, both from Gajuwaka area.
Police investigation revealed a complex network of agents, including Santosh, Arya, Umamahesh and Habib, who facilitated the trafficking.
The victims went to Cambodia on tourist visas. These got converted into business visas once they joined Chinese companies.
