Patna: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against five people, including an alleged absconding mastermind, in a case involving the trafficking of Indian nationals to Cambodia and their alleged forced involvement in cyber fraud operations.
The charge sheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Patna, names Anand Kumar Singh alias Munna Singh as the principal accused along with four alleged associates. The agency has invoked multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code in connection with what it describes as an organised human trafficking and cyber slavery syndicate.
According to investigators, the network allegedly lured young Indians with promises of legitimate overseas employment and high salaries, before transporting them to Cambodia. Once there, victims were reportedly stripped of their passports and compelled to work in fraudulent cyber operations.
The NIA alleges that those who resisted were subjected to severe abuse, including physical and psychological torture. Victims were allegedly confined unlawfully, deprived of food and water, and in some cases subjected to electric shocks.
Three of the accused named in the charge sheet — Abhay Nath Dubey (Uttar Pradesh), Abhiranjan Kumar (Bihar), and Rohit Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) — were arrested in February upon their return to India from Cambodia. A fifth accused, Prahlad Kumar Singh, is currently out on bail.
Investigators say Anand Kumar Singh played a central role in recruiting victims through a network of agents operating within India, coordinating with associates abroad to facilitate their trafficking. The agency further alleges that sums of between $2,000 and $3,000 were extorted per victim as part of the operation.
The case, registered as RC-10/2024/NIA/DLI, remains under investigation, with officials indicating that further arrests and revelations are possible as the probe continues.
