In a significant breakthrough, Goa Police have arrested three individuals, including a Kazakhstan national of Chinese origin, involved in an international trafficking ring operating cyber slavery call centers across Southeast Asia. The arrests followed the rescue of 549 Indians from cyber slavery call centers in Myanmar, one of whom was from Goa.
The victim, who had been lured to Thailand with promises of a lucrative job offer in a call center, was forced to scam victims in the USA by convincing them to invest in fake trading companies or participate in honey-trapping schemes. The Goa Police registered an offense based on a complaint filed by PSI Sarvesh Sawant, which led to the investigation.
The investigation revealed that the primary accused, Adithya Ravichandran, was responsible for conducting interviews of potential candidates for the fake call center jobs. Ravichandran worked for Rupnarayan Gupta, who runs a recruitment agency named Evanka in Mulund, Mumbai. This agency, however, is not registered with the Ministry of External Affairs and has been facilitating the illegal trafficking of Indian nationals for fraudulent employment in foreign countries.
Gupta, in collaboration with agents across India, sourced candidates for fake job placements. He then arranged their travel to Thailand, where they were forced to engage in cyber fraud activities. The third accused, Talaniti Nulaxi, a Kazakhstan national, was involved in hiring victims to carry out financial fraud using platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, and Zoom. The gang conducted meetings via Zoom to coordinate operations.
The investigation has revealed that this gang operated across multiple countries, recruiting individuals under the pretext of offering high-paying job opportunities abroad. In total, they have reportedly trafficked numerous Indian nationals for cyber slavery and financial fraud.
Details of the Accused:
Adithya Ravichandran (22) – Resident of Thiruvalluvar Street, GN Mills Post, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Rupnarayan Gupta (36) – Resident of Vasudev Heights, Mulund, Mumbai
Talaniti Nulaxi (22) – Kazakhstan National of Chinese Origin
Arrests and Recovery:
Adithya Ravichandran was arrested on March 23 by PSI Mandar Desai and his team. He was found with two mobile phones, a laptop, and documents suggesting criminal activity.
Talaniti Nulaxi was arrested on March 26 by SI Sarvesh Savant and his team. Nulaxi was in possession of a laptop, phone, and ID cards from three countries—UAE, China, and Kazakhstan.
Rupnarayan Gupta was arrested on March 27 by SI Sherwyn D’Costa and his team. Gupta was found with a mobile phone containing incriminating evidence.
Ongoing Investigation: The gang had planned to set up call centers in various countries across Asia to execute financial frauds and honey-trapping schemes. They were involved in renting bank accounts and SIM cards from India. Police are continuing their investigation under the supervision of PI Deepak Pednekar, ASP Akshat Aayush, and SP Rahul Gupta, with further details expected to emerge as the case unfolds.
This operation highlights the growing threat of international trafficking rings using cyber slavery and financial fraud as methods to exploit vulnerable individuals, with authorities now intensifying efforts to dismantle these criminal operations.