Police have rescued three youths from Belagavi who were allegedly held captive in Cambodia and forced to engage in cybercrime. Three persons from Belagavi, accused of operating a fake overseas job racket that trapped the youths, have been arrested.
The rescued youths, Akash Kaganikar, Omkar Lokhande, and Sanskar Lokhande, were brought back safely to their hometown a couple of days ago after being stranded abroad for nearly a month. According to police, the victims were lured by promises of lucrative data-entry jobs in Hong Kong, offering a monthly salary of ₹1 lakh, through a local agent based in Belagavi.
However, after leaving India, the youths were allegedly diverted to Cambodia. Once there, they were forced to carry out cyberfrauds targeting Indian citizens via platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Police said the youths were assaulted and threatened when they refused to comply.
Distressed by their plight, the victims’ parents approached the Belagavi CEN police and filed a complaint around two weeks ago. Acting on the complaint, Belagavi city police commissioner Bhushan Borase contacted the Ministry of External Affairs and alerted the Indian Embassy in Cambodia.
Subsequently, Cambodian law enforcement authorities conducted a raid on the fraudulent setup, uncovering a large cybercrime network in which around 50 youths from India and other countries were being coerced into illegal activities. “All three youths were brought back safely to India a couple of days ago,” Borase said.
