A good salary package and options to work remotely – the job advertisement comes with the promise of a fresh start. But what if a click can leave you in captivity, subjected to violence, and exploited by strangers? This isn’t fiction; this is the horrifying truth of cyber slavery unfolding in the shadows of the digital world. Cyber slavery creates two categories of victims – the first consists of individuals defrauded through various scam schemes, while the second comprises those who are compelled to work in these schemes through coercive, deceptive means, and are subjected to inhumane treatment by the operators.
These individuals are entrapped with false promises of foreign jobs and later, forced to commit cybercrimes either through physical restrictions or through coercive means. The rise of cyber slavery is intrinsically tied to technological advancements. Earlier, internet limitations hindered exploitation, but today, high-speed access, social media, and encrypted apps have transformed the web into a global centre for the trafficking and abuse of individuals.
Recently, 540 Indian nationals were rescued from compounds in Myawaddy (Myanmar) near the Thailand border. These Indians had been lured by agents offering jobs in Dubai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and other Southeast Asian cities. Out of these 540, 40 were from Karnataka. They were contacted by agents with employment offers and taken to multiple Southeast Asian countries, and then to Myanmar on boats. Once lodged in the compounds, they were used to facilitate cyber frauds across the world.
The handlers in these compounds were running an organised system, targeting people in many countries, particularly the US and India. The detainees served these handlers as frontline operators in various scams including crypto trading, investment and dating scams, digital arrests, and tasks-based scams. Their role mainly involved contacting and gaining the trust of prospective victims via calls and texts. Once a client was ready to make the payment, the detainees would pass them on to their handlers.
In another instance, 250 Indian citizens – who were forced to run online scams – were rescued from Cambodia. It is estimated that more than 5,000 Indian nationals are stuck with these Southeastern Asian rackets. Their travel documents are often confiscated and they are denied access to the world outside the compounds they live and work in.
Cyber slavery inflicts significant damage on its victims – this could lead to serious psychological trauma, financial devastation, and social exclusion, often leaving them with little hope for legal recourse. The intangible nature of this digital exploitation makes detection and deterrence more challenging.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has been initiating concerted measures to address the issue. Efforts are being made to identify and rescue the Indian nationals who are being used as cyber slaves. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Karnataka has a designated nodal officer to coordinate with the central agencies in the above tasks.
Mitigation and deterrence
There are several challenges law enforcement agencies face while dealing with cyber slavery cases. The handlers operate in different countries under different legal jurisdictions – this makes international cooperation difficult as countries have varied cybercrime laws and definitions. Obtaining evidence from foreign jurisdictions through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) could be time-consuming. The perpetrators often use fake identities and encrypted platforms or VPN for communication, making it challenging to identify and trace them. Cyber slavery is not only limited to forced labour in online scams. It also involves blackmailing individuals into participating in cybercrime.
Preserving digital evidence comes with its challenges. Furthermore, victims may not be able to communicate virtually with law enforcement agencies because they are controlled and through multiple channels.
Strategies to address cyber slavery will need to involve multi-agency collaboration, public awareness, and stringent law enforcement. Legal frameworks such as the Emigration Act 1983 and stringent action against illegal recruitment agents are crucial to mitigating this evolving threat.
Towards curbing cyber slavery, large-scale awareness through media and social media should be undertaken to educate job-seekers about the dangers of inducement by unregistered recruitment agents. The Emigration Act 1983 (Section 10) requires that those who wish to recruit Indian citizens for employment abroad shall register themselves with the registering authority i.e., the Protector General of Emigrants (PGE). Candidates for overseas employment should verify the registration of the recruitment agencies before applying for jobs.
Assistance from international law enforcement agencies should be taken to identify illegal recruitment rackets, especially in countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Strict action should be initiated against unregistered recruitment agencies that operate through social media platforms such as Telegram and Whatsapp. Random checks could be done on people travelling to vulnerable countries for long periods. Awareness should be created among families of candidates who are doing overseas jobs to report suspicious conduct or harassment at the hands of employers. Victims of cyber slavery should be provided support in the form of consular access, counselling, legal assistance, and rehabilitation.
Their families should be encouraged to register their grievances on the madad portal at www.madad.gov.in. These measures are not exhaustive – government agencies, police, and NGOs working for the prevention of human trafficking should actively engage in these mitigation processes to ensure that innocent individuals do not fall prey to this nefarious activity.
(The writer is Director General of Police, CID, Karnataka)