Key accused in cyber slavery case arrested at Bengaluru airport

He served as a recruitment agent, luring youths with promises of lucrative jobs before trafficking them to foreign countries, where they were forced to work in cyber scam centres.

Published: July 20, 2026 06:41 pm IST — CHENNAI

By: The Hindu Bureau

The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) has arrested a key accused in a ‘cyber slavery’ and overseas employment fraud case at Bengaluru International Airport last week.

The arrested individual has been identified as Jai alias Babu, a native of Theni district who resided in Malaysia. The case involves multiple youths who were trafficked to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos under the false promise of lucrative jobs, and subsequently forced to work in cyber scam centres.

According to police, the victims were rescued and repatriated to India through coordinated efforts by the Government of India and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). Based on statements from those rescued, 26 cases were registered across Tamil Nadu and taken up for investigation by the CB-CID.

Case Background

The Thanjavur CB-CID registered one such case on August 10, 2024, following a complaint from Vettrivel, 48, of Thanjavur, who had been rescued from Cambodia.

During the investigation:

• The first accused, Sundar alias Sundararajulu, was arrested on October 3, 2024.
• Investigators found that he had lured six persons from Thanjavur with promises of call centre jobs offering attractive salaries.
• He allegedly collected several lakhs of rupees from five of them.
• With the assistance of Jai, he arranged their travel to Cambodia via Thailand.

Role of the Accused

The investigation identified Jai as a key recruitment agent. Police alleged that he:

• Coordinated with agents in Cambodia
• Trafficked the six victims to compounds in exchange for money
• Facilitated their forced participation in investment scams, where victims were made to persuade people to invest through fake Bitcoin investment applications

The victims’ passports were confiscated, preventing them from leaving the compounds. They were subjected to physical and mental abuse if they refused to participate in the fraudulent activities, police said.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Following the investigation, a charge sheet was filed declaring Jai as an ‘absconding accused’, and a lookout circular was issued against him. On July 16, 2026, Jai was arrested by the Thanjavur CB-CID shortly after his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport. Further legal action is under way, police confirmed.