Man arrested for human trafficking

The accused was identified as Kamran Haider alias Zaidi, who carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head announced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in an alleged human trafficking case.

Police said that Kamran was involved in trafficking of Indian youth across international borders forcing them to work in fake call centres engaging them in cyber fraud.

A senior police officer said that in May a complaint was received at the New Friends Colony police station in which the complainant stated that while he was searching for a job, he came across a consultancy firm, Ali International Service.

“The firm offered him a job in Thailand and Laos and he was eventually sent to Thailand on the pretext of a job. But when he reached there, his passport was snatched and he was forced to work for a Chinese company which used to cheat Indians online,” the officer added.

Meanwhile, since the accused had been changing his locations continuously across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, police traced his location in Hyderabad after receiving manual inputs. Following this, police laid a trap and apprehended him near the Nampally railway station in Hyderabad while he was trying to escape to another hideout.

An official said that the case was transferred to the NIA which revealed that four persons -- Manjoor Alam alis Guddu, Sahil, Ashish alias Akhil, Pawan Yadav alias Afzal -- along with the key conspirator, Kamran were involved in trafficking vulnerable Indian youth to the Golden Triangle Region in Laos where they were forced to commit cyber scams targeting European and American citizens.

“They operated through the consultancy firm, Ali International Services, which functioned as a front for human trafficking. The NIA investigations in the case, originally registered in New Delhi, have revealed a well-organised network of traffickers and touts involved in various illegal activities,” the official added. The main accused Kamran had been absconding since then.

The police said that Kamran had facilitated the entire operation and was also involved in extorting money through crypto currency wallets from victims who tried to escape the clutches of Chinese scammers, as per NIA investigations.

The syndicate headed by Kamran indulged in illegal activities ranging from operation of unlicensed manpower supply agency to illegal transfer and transport of potential victims for criminal activities in Southeastern Asian countries. Those transported were used as slaves and forced to work in inhuman conditions, the police said.