Hyderabad: Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TSCSB) has taken over a new case of cyber slavery linked to Laos, following a complaint lodged by four residents from Jagtial district. The victims, lured by promises of high-paying jobs abroad, alleged they were deceived, trafficked, and coerced into illegal cyber activities upon arrival in Laos. Though they managed to escape from the clutches of their captors and returned to India in the first week of Oct, police are yet to make any arrests in the case.
According to the complaint lodged by Gandla Anil Kumar, 27, from Thattalavai village, Raikal mandal, a recruiter, Gajarla Vamshi from Singaravupet village, approached four of them — Chilumula Praveen Kumar, Chetlapally Mahesh, and Ayyori Mohan — and himself, and offered jobs in Laos with a monthly salary of 70,000 for the first two months followed by 40,000 thereafter. Convinced by his assurance, each of them paid 1.50 lakh, in all 6 lakh, in presence of an intermediary, Palakurthi Suresh.
‘False promises’
Vamshi instructed them to travel to Laos via Bangkok, promising they would receive company visas upon arrival, facilitated by an agent, Rajashekar alias Roman. Upon reaching Bangkok, Rajashekar failed to meet them. Following his directions, they proceeded to Laos independently, bearing the costs themselves.
Once in Laos, the promised company visa and legitimate job were nowhere to be found. Instead, they were taken to a facility, allegedly connected to a mafia group with no official name.
“They forced us to create fake online profiles using female identities and chat with people in the US and India,” Anil Kumar stated.
Realising they were misled into participating in illegal cyber activities, the group refused to sign any agreements. Their resistance was met with threats. The handlers confiscated their passports and confined them to a dark room, coercing them participate in fraudulent operations. Rajashekar and Vamshi continued to intimidate them over the phone, threatening starvation and severe consequences if they didn’t comply.
“We pleaded with Vamshi to bring us back to India, but he ignored our calls. He even instructed Rajashekar to prevent us from returning, fearing exposure of his scam,” the complaint said.
After enduring for over a week of mental and physical hardship, the group managed to escape and return to India on Oct 7, 2024, each incurring an additional 50,000 in personal expenses. “We request legal action against Gajarla Vamshi and others for misleading, exploiting and putting our lives at risk,” Anil Kumar said in his statement. Following the complaint, TSCSB registered a case under multiple Sections of the BNS Act.
