Ahmedabad/New Delhi, Dec16: What began as aspirations for well-paid overseas jobs turned into a nightmare of cyber slavery for dozens of young men from Gujarat who were lured with promises of data entry and call centre work in Thailand but were instead trafficked into cyber fraud compounds in Myanmar police investigations have revealed.
According to survivors and investigators the youths were taken across the Moei River into heavily guarded fortress like complexes in Myanmar where they were labelled illegal immigrants and stripped of their freedom. Once inside they were forced to work 15 to 18 hours a day after a brief “training” period effectively turning them into digital slaves.
“They told us we were no longer employees, but debtors. If we wanted to return we had to pay between three and four lakh rupees,” said Jignesh (name changed) one of the victims. Even months after returning home, he said the trauma persists. “I still wake up thinking I’m in the compound.”
Victims said they were trained to run online scams including romance scams targeting victims in the US and Europe, and fraud calls impersonating Indian police RBI or TRAI officials often using threats of “digital arrest” to extort money. Failure to meet daily fraud targets allegedly led to brutal punishment. “If you didn’t meet the daily fraud target, they withheld food or beat you,” said Tanmay (name changed) another survivor.
Families back in Gujarat were allegedly forced to raise between ₹3 lakh and ₹4 lakh to secure their sons’ release, mortgaging homes and taking loans to pay ransom amounts. Many of the returnees came back traumatised, indebted and fearful.
The Gujarat Cyber Crime Cell has identified the alleged mastermind as Nilesh Purohit (39), also known as “Neel”. Police say Purohit trafficked over 500 Indians to cybercrime hubs in Myanmar Laos and Cambodia, operating under a Chinese handler known as “Yamaha”.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi said Purohit ran a global recruitment syndicate with more than 126 sub-agents spread across South Asia. Investigators claim he earned between $2,000 and $4,500 per recruit, with payments routed through cryptocurrency wallets and mule bank accounts.
Police also uncovered a plan dubbed “Project India” which allegedly aimed to traffic 1,000 more Indian youths into cyber slavery hubs. Seized electronic devices reportedly contained photographs of over 2,000 Indians and videos showing torture inside the camps. IPS officer Rajdeepsinh Zala said the accused even monitored Interpol’s wanted list before planning his movements.
Investigators further found that these cybercrime networks increasingly use AI-generated images, fake profiles, AI-powered video calls and hired models to lend authenticity to scams.
Another survivor, Dhaval Joshi (name changed), said, “We believed it was a legal call centre. Only later we realized we were cyber slaves.” He added that he was offered ₹2–3 lakh to lure more Indians into the trap, but refused.
While many victims have returned to Gujarat, police officials said the fear remains. Authorities are quietly monitoring some returnees, concerned that the sophisticated fraud techniques they were forcibly taught could make them vulnerable to being drawn into cybercrime again.
