DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Police's Cyber Crime Division has arrested two travel agents for indulging in illegal trafficking of people from the state to Cambodia and other South East Asian countries, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday. Those arrested have been identified as Amarjeet Singh, the owner of Visa Palace Immigration in Mohali, and his accomplice Gurjodh Singh, he said in an official statement.

The arrested travel agents were sending innocent people from Punjab to Cambodia promising them lucrative jobs as data entry operators.

On arrival at Siem Reap in Cambodia, their passports used to be taken away from them and then they were forced to work in "cyber scamming" call centres to target Indian people to commit cyber financial frauds, the statement said.

Yadav said that following the statement of a victim, who has managed to escape from Cambodia after getting in contact with the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, the State Cyber Crime Police Station had registered a first information report (FIR) and started investigations in this case.

A case had been registered under relevant provisions of the law and the Immigration Act at Police Station State Cyber Crime, the statement said.

He said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused persons have fraudulently sent many persons to Cambodia and other South-East Asian countries, where they are forcibly made to work at centres engaged in cyber scamming Indians. "The details of the persons, who are into cyber slavery are being obtained and contacts are being established with them and their families," he added.

Meanwhile, Additional DGP Cyber Crime Division, V Neeraja, said that police teams from State Cyber Crime led by Inspector Deepak Bhatia conducted raid at the office of Visa Palace immigration and arrested both the accused persons.

She said that the accused have further revealed that they were doing the illegal activities in connivance with other agents belonging to different states. Further investigation is being conducted to identify other such travel agents and their accomplices to nab them, she said.

The ADGP exhorted the citizens to be aware of such fraudulent immigration activities and do not fall prey to the fake promises of travel agents offering lucrative job opportunities abroad.

It is also advised that the background of the prospective employer is checked thoroughly especially when work is offered in the name of 'data entry operator' job and to not undertake any illegal cyber activities and reach out to Indian Embassy, she added.

Meanwhile, according to the statement, the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, has also setup an Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) as a single-window facilitation centre, to provide the required support services to persons desirous of going abroad for employment purposes. "The OWRC at present is operating a 24x7 helpline --1800113090-- to provide need based information to emigrants and their families through a toll free number. "If any other person from state of Punjab has fallen victim in this alleged scam, the person may call State Cyber Crime Division, Punjab helpline no. 0172-2226258 for further facilitation through Ministry of External Affairs,

New Delhi," it said.
(editor@dailyworld.in)