NIA arrests 6th accused from Maharashtra in Human trafficking, cyber fraud case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested sixth accused following massive searches conducted across Nashik in Maharashtra in connection with the human trafficking and cyber frauds case.

Sudarshan Darade of Nashik is the sixth person to be arrested in the case in less than three weeks.

On May 27, NIA had arrested five other accused after multi-state searches in joint operations with the respective state police forces.

Besides the arrest, the NIA seized several incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices and details of bank accounts, which the

NIA is examining to unravel the conspiracy behind the human trafficking and forced cyber fraud case.

NIA took over the case from Mumbai police on May 13 after preliminary findings revealed a nationwide nexus between the traffickers and cyber fraudsters, operating on orders from international syndicates.

"Investigations have revealed that Darade was directly involved in the organized trafficking syndicate, engaged in luring and trafficking Indian youth to foreign countries on false promises of legal employment," said the NIA.

"The youth were being forced to work in fake call centers at Laos, Golden Triangle SEZ, and Cambodia, among other places, through elaborate syndicates controlled and operated mainly by foreign nationals."

As per the NIA, these syndicates were connected to operatives based in various parts of India, as well as other countries like United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, besides Cambodia and Laos SEZ.

"All the accused arrested so far had been working in close collusion with traffickers operating from across the international border to illegally transport Indian youth from Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to Laos SEZ," said the NIA.

These trafficked youth were further coerced into undertaking illegal activities online, such as credit card fraud, investments in Crypto currency using fake applications and honey trapping, as per the NIA investigations, which are continuing.