Gujarat Cyber Cell busts syndicate trafficking Indians to Myanmar for cyber slavery

A major human trafficking and cyber fraud racket has been exposed by the Gujarat Cyber Crime Centre for Excellence, revealing how a network lured Indian nationals—mostly Gujaratis—to Myanmar through Thailand under the guise of overseas jobs, only to force them into cyber slavery.

According to Cyber Crime SP Dr Rajdeepsinh Zala, the investigation uncovered that the accused were running illegal operations in Myanmar, where Indian victims were held captive and made to carry out large-scale cyber scams.

One key accused, Hitesh Somaiya from Porbandar, who had been abroad for nearly one and a half years, was arrested upon his return to India.

SP Zala explained that traffickers first took victims to Thailand, where they were illegally made to cross the Moei River into Myanmar. Once across, they were asked to choose between working in the scam operations or returning to India—though in most cases, returning wasn’t truly an option.

Victims were divided into separate “units” and forced to work under strict targets.

The scam involved a front called Homesank Company, which specialized in identifying wealthy individuals through social media activity—such as comments on salon, spa, and casino posts—and then lured them with fake investment offers.

The syndicate reportedly used AI-generated videos and fake Facebook profiles to gain victims’ trust and convince them to invest in cryptocurrency schemes. The portal’s algorithm was designed to manipulate online interactions and maximize fraud success.

Authorities have also advised that tourists traveling abroad on short-term visas—especially to Thailand—should be closely monitored if they fail to return within 21 days, as many such cases have been linked to human trafficking and forced cybercrime in the region.