Heroic escape exposes vast Cyber Crime network enslaving Telugu youth in Cambodia

VISAKHAPATNAM: A daring escape by a victim has led the Visakhapatnam Cyber Crime Police to uncover a sprawling network of cyber criminals exploiting young people from the Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These individuals were lured with promises of high-paying jobs, only to be trafficked to Cambodia and forced into cyber crimes.

The elaborate scam was orchestrated by a gang of consultancy agents preying on unemployed youth. These agents promised lucrative data entry jobs but instead sent the recruits to Chinese-run companies operating in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Bangkok.

The mastermind behind this operation, Chukka Rajesh (33) from Gajuwaka, has an engineering background and previously worked as a fire safety manager in the Gulf. After marrying in 2021, he began supplying manpower to Gulf countries. In March 2023, Rajesh was contacted by Santosh from Cambodia, who requested 30 individuals skilled in computers and English for jobs in Cambodia.

Santosh assured Rajesh that he would handle all travel arrangements and instructed him to collect Rs 90,000 from each recruit, with Rs 70,000 going to Santosh and Rs 20,000 as Rajesh’s commission.

The dark truth emerged when it was revealed that these jobs involved cyber crimes. The recruits were forced to transfer large sums of money from victims to fraudulent companies and lure people into investing in scams such as task games and cryptocurrency.

Driven by greed, Rajesh facilitated the travel of 27 individuals to Cambodia in three batches in March 2023.

Rajesh and his network managed to send around 150 individuals to Cambodia and Bangkok through various agents. Some recruits travelled to Bangkok on tourist visas and were smuggled into Cambodia, where they were sold to Chinese companies for $2,500 to $4,000 each, depending on their skills. These companies detained the recruits, confining them in dark rooms and training them in cyber crimes. Those who resisted were tortured and deprived of basic necessities.

The victims, from Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Rajahmundry, Anantapur, Palasa, Tuni, Anakapalli, Telangana, and Kolkata, were coerced into cyber crimes with threats and false promises. They received only 1% of their illicit earnings, while the companies kept the remaining 99%. The ill-gotten gains were often spent on gambling, drinking, and prostitution.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner A Ravi Shankar revealed that the investigation began following a complaint from Botcha Sankhar, a victim who managed to escape from one of the Chinese companies. His heroic escape and subsequent report exposed the vast network, leading to the arrest of the primary suspect, Chukka Rajesh, along with his sub-agents Sabbavarapu Kondalarao (37) and Mannena Gnaneshwar Rao (29).

The police urge anyone deceived by such agents to contact Cyber Crime Inspector K. Bhavani Prasad at 9490617917.