CBI arrests Mumbai-based 'kingpin' linked to Myanmar cyber slavery network

Mumbai: In a major intelligence-based operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the kingpin of an international crime syndicate involved in trafficking unsuspecting Indian citizens to cyber scam compounds in Myanmar.

The accused has been identified as Sunil Nellathu Ramakrishnan alias Krish, a resident of Mumbai.

The cyber scam compounds are mainly located in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, notably KK Park.

Investigations have revealed the existence of organised transnational criminal syndicates that lure victims on the pretext of lucrative job opportunities in Thailand, CBI officials said.

The victims are initially transported from Delhi to Bangkok and are thereafter clandestinely diverted to Myanmar, where they are forced to work in cyber scam centres.

At these facilities, victims are coerced into engaging in various cyber frauds, including digital arrest scams, romance frauds, and cryptocurrency investment schemes targeting victims across the globe, including India.

The trafficked individuals are subjected to wrongful confinement, constant intimidation, physical and mental abuse, and severe restrictions on their movement.

During 2025, several Indian nationals managed to escape from these scam compounds and reached Thailand, from where they were repatriated to India in March and November 2025.

The CBI conducted detailed interviews of these victims to understand the modus operandi of the trafficking networks and the functioning of these cyber fraud centres.

Acting upon the intelligence gathered, the CBI carried out a sustained and meticulous investigation to identify key operatives behind these activities.

“Sunil alias Krish emerged as one of the main facilitators and kingpins in the trafficking network, playing a crucial role in the illegal transportation and exploitation of victims in South-East Asia,” officials said.

The movements of the accused were kept under close surveillance. He was arrested by the CBI in Mumbai after he recently returned to India.

Subsequently, searches were conducted at his residential premises, leading to the seizure of incriminating digital evidence linked to trafficking operations in Myanmar and Cambodia.

The CBI is continuing its investigation to identify and apprehend other accused persons, including foreign nationals involved in the transnational trafficking network, and to uncover the full extent of these operations.

The KK Park comprises fortified compounds that have proliferated along the Myanmar-Thailand border. These centres operate under the cover of special economic zones.