Gandhinagar: Key Agent in International Cyber-Slavery Racket Arrested

In a major crackdown on cyber-trafficking, the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE) in Gandhinagar has arrested Payal Chauhan, a key facilitator in an international cyber-slavery network operating from Vadodara’s Undera and Gorwa areas.

According to investigators, Chauhan lured young Gujaratis with the promise of high-paying jobs abroad and, with support from Pakistani handlers, arranged their travel to Southeast Asian countries. Once the recruits landed overseas, Chinese-linked agents allegedly intercepted them, seized their documents and smuggled them across the Moei River into Myanmar’s KK Park — a hub for illegal cybercrime syndicates.

Inside the Chinese-run compounds, Indian nationals were allegedly confined and forced to work as “cyber slaves,” carrying out phishing, crypto scams, Ponzi schemes and romance-based fraud. Victims who resisted were reportedly subjected to physical and psychological torture.

CCoE officials said Chauhan operated under the main accused, Nilesh alias Neel Purohit, and arranged flight tickets for victims under the guise of data-entry jobs. Investigators also recovered passport details of Pakistani and Nepali nationals from her phone, indicating wider international links. She was further suspected to be involved in supplying mule accounts, facilitating cricket betting, gaming IDs, crypto operations and handling master IDs tied to illegal gaming syndicates in Dubai and Goa.

The exposure of the racket led to a coordinated rescue effort by authorities in India, Thailand and Myanmar. Around 4,000 Indians trapped in cybercrime camps have been repatriated over the past three years.