New Delhi, March 15: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a suspect involved in recruiting Indian youths for foreign cyber fraud syndicates. According to the agency, the accused lured Indian citizens with promises of attractive job offers abroad, where they were coerced into participating in cyber crimes.
The arrested individual has been identified as Krishna Kumar Lakhwani, a resident of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The agency received information about organized cyber crime syndicates operating large-scale scams in foreign countries, with a significant hub located in Cambodia, where Indian youths are trapped and forced into online fraud.
Investigations revealed that the accused enticed young individuals with offers of well-paying jobs in data entry, customer support, or other IT-related fields. Candidates were charged between 300 to 400 US dollars and were sent to Cambodia via various routes through Delhi. Upon arrival, these youths were compelled to work for Cyber Fraud gangs. The CBI reported that those taken to these scam compounds abroad were subjected to threats, intimidation, and illegal confinement, forcing them to engage in digital arrest scams, identity theft, and other online frauds. Victims are often referred to as “cyber slaves.”
Based on intelligence, the CBI monitored the suspect and tracked him upon his return to India, where he was taken into custody for questioning. During the investigation, his mobile phone was examined, revealing several videos of him conducting interviews with candidates allegedly being recruited for these scam compounds. Additionally, images of the passports of several Indian candidates, who were reportedly sent to these centers in Cambodia, were also recovered.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the accused was part of a larger criminal syndicate that sent Indian citizens abroad under the guise of fake job offers. Once overseas, these individuals were illegally detained and incorporated into cyber fraud networks targeting people in India and several other countries.
The CBI has arrested Krishna Kumar Lakhwani and is conducting a detailed investigation to connect all links within the network.