Kamran Haider, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his role in trafficking Indians across international borders and exploiting them in fake call centres, was arrested after a relentless 2,500-km chase across states.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police had a daunting task at hand, with Kamran changing locations frequently in order to evade arrest.
Following months of coordinated operations across multiple states, police arrested Kamran Haider alias Zaidi in Hyderabad on December 7, just as he was about to flee to another hideout.
WHO IS KAMRAN HAIDER?
Kamran Haider, along with four others, Manjoor Alam alias Guddu, Sahil, Ashish alias Akhil, Pawan Yadav alias Afzal, is accused of being involved in the illegal trafficking of Indians to Thailand and Laos. He ran a consultancy firm under the name Ali International Services, which served as a front for human trafficking.
The syndicate had trafficked vulnerable Indians to countries like Laos and Thailand under the guise of job opportunities.
Naresh Lakhavath, a resident of Delhi, alleged that Zaidi’s firm offered him a job in Thailand and Laos, but upon arriving in Thailand, his passport was forcibly taken, and he was forced into working for a Chinese company engaged in cyber fraud.
A case of human trafficking was registered against Zaidi following Naresh’s complaint and a probe was launched in June this year. The case was later transferred to the NIA and its probe revealed that Zaidi’s firm lured people, and they were then forced to get involved in cyber scams by targeting European and American citizens.
Kamran Haider was also involved in extorting money through cryptocurrency wallets from victims who tried to escape from the Chinese scammers, the investigation showed.
According to NIA, the firm run by Zaidi was involved in the transfer of potential victims for criminal activities in South Eastern Asian countries. The probe agency also said that the victims were made to work under inhumane conditions.
HOW KAMRAN HAIDER WAS ARRESTED
A reward of Rs 2 lakh was announced for Zaidi’s arrest, but he remained at large. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police was tasked with arresting him, and stationed teams in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, gathering leads and information.
On Saturday, December 7, two police teams were sent to Hyderabad, and after a 2500 km chase that lasted several days, without rest, Kamran Haider was arrested near Nampally Railway Station.
