Cyber Slavery Racket Trafficking Indian Youths To Cambodia Exposed by Agra Police -

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“A cyber slavery racket trafficking Indian Youths to Cambodia has been exposed by the Agra police. Let’s talk about the update!”

Two young men from Agra thought they were on their way to a bright future overseas. Rather, they were imprisoned in a camp in Cambodia and made to operate internet fraud for syndicates who peddled them as real estate.

Their experience has now contributed to the discovery of an expanding network of traffickers who prey on India’s jobless youth under the guise of digital labor.

A Job Offer Trap

What started as an email asking stranded Indian youngsters in Cambodia for assistance has developed into a troubling depiction of a slave trade that thrives in cybercrime dens rather than sweatshops or construction camps in the twenty-first century.

Two males, Ajay Shukla (33) and Mohammad Adil Khan (34), were detained by Agra police on suspicion of operating a global network of human trafficking and cyber slavery.

Investigators

The two trafficked jobless youths from Uttar Pradesh to Cambodia and Thailand, where they were forced to participate in internet fraud schemes after being them with promises of lucrative computer employment overseas.

Shukla served as his local recruiter, collecting money from desperate job searchers via WhatsApp groups and social media posts that advertised “digital marketing” or “crypto support” opportunities overseas.

Two victims, both of whom lived in Agra, were able to write an urgent email to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier this year, which led to the opening of the case. They were saved in July and transported back home thanks to the ministry’s involvement, which sparked an investigation that currently covers several nations.

Police

In 2024, each victim paid ₹3.5 lakh for a job placement abroad. In June 2025, they were transported to Phnom Penh instead of the promised employment, where they were placed in guarded dormitories and had their passports seized.

They were assaulted, hungry, and extorted for a further ₹3 lakh apiece before being freed after they refused to take part in internet fraud.

Aditya ADCP, Probe Leader

“After being sold for between $3,500 and $4,000 USD, each victim was coerced into running internet scams.”

“A transnational network of recruiters and handlers operating across India, Cambodia, and Laos is revealed by chats and photos recovered from their devices.”

The “Centre for Police Technology” was established as a shared platform to promote smart policing among police, OEMs, and vendors.

Adil Khan allegedly acknowledged during questioning that he had been living in Cambodia since 2022 and that he had trafficked more than 25 young Indians to different cybercrime businesses there.

A Route of Digital Slavery from Agra to Phnom Penh

A well-oiled supply network of exploitation is described by officials.

Aditya ADCP

“Some agents in India use false job promises to entice young people who are innocent.” “Others, who are already based in Laos and Cambodia, purchase them for between $3,500 and $4,000 (roughly ₹3.08 lakhs) each and coerce them into committing cybercrime.”

Since 2022, police believe the organization has trafficked scores of Indians; similar cases have been documented in Telangana, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. The Ministry of Home Affairs is working with the MEA to locate and repatriate additional captive workers, and Interpol has been notified.

Investigators were informed by the rescued victims that they were frequently subject to rigid quotas and 18-hour workdays while operating online fraud that targeted individuals in East Asia.

Survivor, Reportedly, Police

“We were instructed to send money to company wallets, trick people into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, and message them on dating apps.” “Those who refused were imprisoned or beaten.”

An International Issue Concerning Indian Victims

The Indian connection to a broader Southeast Asian cybercrime economy, an underground sector valued at billions of dollars, has been revealed by the Agra arrests. Thousands of trafficking laborers from all across Asia are being held in “cyber scam compounds” that function like jails in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which have become hotspots in recent years.

Investigators claim that India’s expanding pool of young people with digital skills who are unemployed has emerged as a top target.

Senior Cybercrime Officer

“Under the pretense of the digital economy, this is modern slavery.” “Economic aspirations are exploited by traffickers.”

Sections 143(3) (trafficking), 318(4) (cheating), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have been used to charge both accused. Police are already tracking down their money networks and identifying agents connected to similar job rackets in Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai.

About The Author

Suraj Koli is a content specialist in technical writing about cybersecurity & information security. He has written many amazing articles related to cybersecurity concepts, with the latest trends in cyber awareness and ethical hacking. Find out more about “Him.”

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