Police Commissioner Shankabratha Bagchi administering an oath to students to stay away from drugs, at Dr. L. Bullayya College in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: V. Raju
The City Police on Wednesday (July 16, 2025) arrested two individuals, including a woman, for their alleged involvement in a human trafficking racket connected to international cybercrime operations.
The accused have been identified as L. Suresh and Adilakshmi, both residents of Gajuwaka.
With the arrest of the duo, the police were able to prevent five youths from being trafficked out of the country.
Addressing the media, Police Commissioner Shankabrata Bagchi said that the accused were running a recruitment agency that targeted unemployed youth, promising them computer-based jobs abroad.
The victims were sent to countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Bangkok, and were trapped by cybercrime offenders and forced into illegal activities, he said, adding that the kingpin of the racket has been identified as Vijay Kumar, who is suspected of recruiting at least 150 individuals for such overseas scams.
Explaining the modus operandi, Mr. Bagchi said the cybercrime offenders would create fake social media profiles to target elderly and influential people. These fraudsters would lure victims into schemes involving cryptocurrency investments, instant loan offers, honey traps, digital arrests and various financial scams.
Mr. Bagchi urged the youth to thoroughly verify the licence of recruitment agencies before engaging with them.
He also warned the youth against getting involved in such scams, saying that it might have serious legal consequences, including the issuing of lookout notices.
The Police Commissioner also urged the parents to ensure that their children working with such companies return to India promptly.
Mr. Bagchi revealed that approximately 150 individuals from the city were currently working with such cybercrime organisations abroad, adding that the police have rescued 87 of them till date.
In a bid to create awareness about Cambodia-based job frauds and the dangers of fake job agencies, the police released a poster. These posters will be available at all police stations across the city.
‘Nava Samaja Nirmanam’
Earlier in the day, Mr. Bagchi launched a programme titled ‘Nava Samaja Nirmanam’ at Dr. L. Bullayya College. The motto of the programme was to create awareness about drug abuse, road safety and cybercrimes.
Mr. Bagchi sensitised a large gathering of students on the current issues and administered them with a pledge to stay away from drugs and cybercrimes.
Published – July 17, 2025 07:29 am IST
