Delhi Man Recounts Cyber-Slavery Ordeal After Being Trafficked to Myanmar; Two Arrested

A Delhi resident, Imtiyaz, was among 300 Indians deported from Myanmar on November 19 after being forced into cyber-fraud operations in Myawaddy. According to police, he was trafficked to a “scam compound” in the KK Park area, where more than 1,000 foreigners — including citizens of Pakistan and Ethiopia — were confined and made to run online scams targeting Americans.

Imtiyaz told investigators he worked 15 hours a day, posing as a woman and using a translation app to chat with US citizens. After gaining their trust, he would collect their contact details and pass them to senior team members who carried out cryptocurrency investment frauds and “digital arrest” scams. He was not allowed to leave the dormitory without permission and was punished for resisting work.

The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit has arrested two men — Danish Raja (24) from Bawana and Harsh (30) from Faridabad — for allegedly trafficking Imtiyaz. Officials say both had earlier been deported from Myanmar in August but continued recruitment operations in India.

Investigators found that the traffickers sent victims to Myanmar via Kolkata and Bangkok using illegal routes. Digital forensic analysis is underway to trace the financial network and identify other syndicate members.

The case surfaced after the Myanmar military raided a scam centre in Myawaddy on October 22, rescuing several Indians forced into cyber-fraud operations. The victims were sheltered in a humanitarian camp before being assisted by the Indian Embassy and repatriated. Delhi Police and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) are now working together to dismantle the racket, which officers say exposes a rising trend of jobseekers being trafficked into cyber-slavery under the guise of overseas employment.