New Delhi, February 18 – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against three individuals, including a suspected Chinese national, on Wednesday, in a cross-border human trafficking and cyber fraud operation originating from Myanmar.
The accused – Ankit Kumar alias Ankit Bharadwaj, Ishtikhar Ali alias Ali, and Lisa – face charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 61(2), 127(4), 143(3), 308(2), 318(4), and 62 read with 143(3), as well as Section 24 of the Emigration Act.
The charge sheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in Panchkula, Haryana.
The case, initially registered by the Haryana Police and taken over by the NIA, exposes a sophisticated network preying on vulnerable Indian youth.
Investigations revealed that the trio, along with unidentified accomplices, lured victims with promises of legitimate jobs in Thailand.
Ankit Kumar and Ishtikhar Ali, both arrested, coordinated deceptive online interviews featuring Lisa, believed to be a Chinese national operating from Myanmar, to convince targets of secure employment abroad.
Once trafficked illegally via Thailand into Myanmar's Myawaddy region, victims were coerced into working for cyber scam outfits. They were forced to create fake social media profiles and target individuals in the USA, UK, and Canada, duping them into investing in bogus cryptocurrency apps. Refusal led to confinement, physical abuse, and demands for exorbitant ransom payments for release, as per NIA findings in the case.
The investigation uncovered a web of unlicensed recruiters and touts facilitating illegal emigration and exploitation in Southeast Asia, causing significant financial losses through fraud while endangering lives.
Lisa remains at large, prompting international coordination efforts.
This development highlights the growing threat of transnational cybercrime syndicates exploiting economic desperation.
NIA officials stated that the investigation continues to identify additional perpetrators and dismantle the network, emphasising the need for enhanced border vigilance and awareness campaigns against fake job offers.
Authorities urge citizens to report suspicious overseas job ads, linking such vigilance to broader safety amid variable weather patterns affecting rural livelihoods.
