Mumbai woman held for sending jobseekers to Cambodia for cybercrimes

Hyderabad, Sep 13 : Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), has arrested a woman from Mumbai for her involvement in sending job seekers to Cambodia to engage in cybercrimes.

Priyanka Shivkumar Siddu, a recruiting agent and resident of Chembur, Mumbai, had sent a few youths including two from Hyderabad.

The 30-year-old has been booked for causing hurt, trafficking of minors, wrongful confinement, extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt, cheating, criminal intimidation

A case under sections 323, 370, 342, 386, 420, 506 r/w 120B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), 66D IT Act and 24 of Emigration Act was booked at the Cyber Crime Police Station (HQ), TGCSB, Hyderabad.

According to TGCSB director Shikha Goel, Priyanka previously worked at a licensed overseas job processing agency named Maxwell, which closed due to the health issues of its MD. Gaining experience there, she later started her own agency without a proper license and misled job seekers by offering visit visas with the promise that they would be converted to job visas later.

Priyanka developed a connection with Narayana, who also operated a similar agency in Mumbai. Narayana travelled to Cambodia and informed Priyanka about data entry job opportunities there, introducing her to Jithender Shah alias Amer Khan, the director of a Chinese-owned company named Zhan Zei.

Priyanka visited Cambodia to confirm the details and was offered $500 as a commission for each candidate she sent. Upon returning to India, she processed visas for her sister’s son Akshay Vaidhya, and his friend Danish Khan, who were the first two candidates she sent to Cambodia. Once in Cambodia, the two were subjected to 12 hours of road travel, after which Jithender Shah alias Amer Khan explained their job, which involved cybercrimes.

Priyanka advertised extensively through newspapers and social media, offering high-paying jobs in Cambodia, leading individuals like Vamsi Krishna and Sai Prasad from Hyderabad to contact her. She collected ₹30,000 as a commission for each candidate, processed their visas, and sent them to Cambodia, where they experienced severe physical and mental torture after refusing to participate in cybercriminal activities. These individuals eventually returned to India with great difficulty.

According to the TGCSB director, the investigation into her involvement in sending others abroad for cybercrimes is continuing. Agents in India lure job seekers with the promise of high-paying overseas jobs and collect money under the pretence of processing fees, registration, and visa charges. They then send these candidates to Cambodia, where they are handed over to Chinese handlers.

Upon arrival, the victims are coerced into committing cybercrimes under the threat of violence and confinement. Those who resist face physical abuse and psychological torture. After months of exploitation, the handlers extort additional money from the victims by threatening them with death, demanding payment in bitcoins.