The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a man accused of recruiting unsuspecting Indian citizens for organised cyber fraud networks operating from so-called “scam compounds” in Cambodia and other countries, officials said on Sunday. The investigation suggests that the accused allegedly trapped several jobseekers and forced them into carrying out online fraud operations targeting people in India.
The accused has been identified as Krishna Kumar Lakhwani, a resident of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. According to the CBI, Lakhwani allegedly recruited young individuals by offering them attractive overseas job opportunities. Many of the victims were promised roles such as data entry operators or customer support executives in foreign countries.
Officials said that Lakhwani allegedly charged candidates between 300 and 400 US dollars as part of the recruitment process. He would then arrange travel for the recruits and transport them from Delhi to Cambodia. Once they arrived there, investigators claim, the individuals were forced to participate in organised cyber fraud schemes instead of the legitimate jobs they had been promised.
The victims, often described as “cyber slaves” by investigators, were allegedly confined in large scam centres where they were made to carry out fraudulent activities online. Authorities said these individuals were subjected to intimidation, wrongful confinement, and the confiscation of their passports, which prevented them from leaving the premises or returning to India.
According to the CBI, those trapped in these scam compounds were forced to conduct various types of cybercrime operations aimed primarily at Indian victims. These activities allegedly included scams involving digital arrests, identity theft, and other forms of online financial fraud.
The agency said it tracked Lakhwani through intelligence inputs and surveillance. He was intercepted soon after he arrived in India and was brought to the CBI office for questioning. During the investigation, officials examined his mobile phone in the presence of witnesses.
According to the agency, the examination of the device revealed several videos showing Lakhwani interviewing candidates for recruitment to the scam compounds abroad. Investigators also reportedly recovered images of passports belonging to multiple Indian individuals who were allegedly recruited by him to work in these centres in Cambodia.
Authorities believe the evidence recovered from the phone may help identify additional victims and further expose the network involved in recruiting people for such cyber fraud operations. The CBI has said that further investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the operation and to identify other individuals who may be involved in the recruitment and trafficking of victims to these scam centres.
