UP man rescued from cyber slavery in Cambodia, repatriated

Baghpat (UP), Nov 22 (PTI) A man from Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat, who was allegedly held captive by a cyber-fraud syndicate in Cambodia, has been rescued and repatriated to India, police said on Saturday.

According to a statement issued by police, Vikas Rana, a resident of Ghenaura Silver Nagar village, had travelled to Cambodia for employment but was allegedly confined illegally and forced to take part in cyber-fraud operations.

Rana's wife, Dolly, filed a complaint, saying that her husband was taken against his will and made to work for the syndicate, it said.

Acting on the complaint, the Additional Director General of Police (Meerut Zone) and the Deputy Inspector General (Meerut Range) directed the Baghpat cyber cell to initiate a probe, it said.

Preliminary investigation confirmed that Rana was held by a group involved in luring youngsters abroad on the pretext of jobs and then forcing them into cyber-fraud activities, police said.

Following this, Baghpat police maintained constant communication with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi, as well as the Indian Embassy in Cambodia.

The statement said that through continuous coordination, Cambodian authorities helped rescue Rana from the alleged "slavery centre".

According to the statement, Rana has been repatriated to India.

Cyber slavery refers to the trafficking of people, often lured abroad with fake job offers, and forcing them to run online fraud operations, which has emerged as an organised crime network in countries like Cambodia. PTI COR KIS SHS SHS