HYDERABAD: An investigation by TOI has uncovered a human trafficking network in Visakhapatnam linked to cyber scam centres operating in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region. Three young victims from Visakhapatnam, allegedly trafficked and forced into cyber slavery, are now awaiting help.
The agent behind their ordeal, codenamed ‘Adam’ of Visakhapatnam, allegedly lured them with false job promises and sold them to cyber scam centres for $3,500 each to Chinese and Myanmar handlers.
The youths shared their harrowing experience, including videos, money transactions, and photos of their illegal crossing from Thailand to Myanmar. Investigations suggest that Adam, once employed at a scam centre in Laos, allegedly expanded his operations to target Indian youth.
Shaik Umar, a 23-year-old resident of Gopalapatnam, recalled how Adam, who resided near his home, promised lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand, with a salary of Rs 70,000 per month. “He came to our house, convinced us with a video recording, and helped us get passports,” Umar said. The agent booked train tickets to Bhubaneswar and reportedly collected Rs 50,000 from each victim for flight tickets and foreign exchange, assuring them that part of the amount would be refunded.
After travelling from Bhubaneswar to Thailand, Adam accompanied the victims until Mae Sot and then reportedly vanished, selling them to cyber slavery gangs. At Mae Sot bus station, the victims underwent a fake interview conducted via a WhatsApp group. Despite their responses, they were “selected” and instructed to proceed further.
From Mae Sot, they were smuggled across the Myanmar border, bypassing security patrols. Upon arriving at KK Park in Myawaddy, they underwent mandatory blood tests. “The first day, we realised we were being forced into cyber slavery at scam centres. We contacted Adam, but he didn’t respond,” Umar said.
The victims were allegedly forced to manage fake Facebook profiles of women and post at least 100 comments daily to lure wealthy individuals. The alleged scam used AI-generated video calls and deepfake technology to deceive victims into investing money. “When we refused, we were punished and jailed. We saw people being given electric shocks,” Umar recalled.
Despite being promised they could leave after three months, the victims faced constant abuse. Adam, now a team leader at the scam centre, dismissed their concerns.
Umar, along with Valluri Devi Prasad, 36, from Dondaparthy, and Sabbavarapu Rohit, 20, from Visakhapatnam, was held for a month before managing to escape. They were under strict surveillance and unable to flee. Umar revealed, “Each agent received $3,500 per person for selling us to Chinese and Myanmar handlers.”
To return to Thailand, the victims had to pay 33,000 Thai Baht per person to cross the Myanmar border. Meanwhile, agents in India continued recruiting more victims. “The agent offered Rs 25,000 commission for each person,” Umar said. Adam, who spent 18 months in Laos before moving to Myanmar, allegedly threatened the victims when they tried to expose the scam.
Extent of fraud
A WhatsApp group called ‘Adam Team’, with Adam as the admin, was reportedly used to recruit new victims. In a secretly recorded video, Adam was heard telling the recruits, “The first month will be difficult, but then it will be easy. It will be like school—you’ll have breaks, and you’ll make friends. You’ll need to speak English with the Chinese, and Hindi and Telugu will also be spoken.”
Investigators said videos, pictures, and transaction details provided by the victims, along with banking records, uncovered the extent of the fraud. Investigations revealed that Adam had returned to Visakhapatnam after allegedly selling the victims.
