CHENNAI: A 35-year-old man from Madurai, who allegedly trafficked Indian nationals as cyber slaves in the notorious scam compounds in Cambodia, and even earned a side income by setting up eateries for them, was arrested by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Tamil Nadu police.
The accused, identified as Madhan Vadivel, was arrested from a hideout in Madurai by a special team from the State Cyber Crime Investigation Centre following a complaint filed by a victim from Tirupattur.
Vadivel lured the victim with promises of a high-paying job in Cambodia, and collected money from him, arranged travel documents, and facilitated his journey, said investigators. However, when he landed there with high hopes, the victim was handed over to foreign nationals running scam compounds.
They confined inside the facility, and forced him into what is called cyber slavery to participate in cyber fraud activities. Unlike hundreds of such victims, the man from Tirupattur managed to escape from the clutches of the slave runners and got help from the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, who facilitated his safe return.
Police inquiries revealed that Vadivel has been operating the racket for three years, trafficking over 100 people to Cambodia. He is also said to have links to organised cyber-scam operators and foreign nationals running fraud centres in India. Officials found that he even ran four restaurants named “Jallikattu” inside various scam compounds, supplying food to trafficked Indian victims.
Further investigation uncovered an international network involving travel agents, immigration facilitators, taxi operators, and foreign nationals in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Police suspect hundreds of Indian nationals were trafficked through this network over the past three years.
“Vadivel acted as a recruiter and facilitator for cyber slavery operations, receiving commissions for each victim he trafficked,” said an official.
Vadivel was produced before a magistrate court in Madurai, where police obtained a transit warrant. He was then brought to Chennai, produced before a court, and remanded in judicial custody. Authorities seized mobile phones, SIM cards, and passport-related documents for forensic examination. Investigators are now tracing additional victims, financial transactions, and international links to bust the network.
DGP (Cyber Crime Wing) Bala Nagadevi advised the public to verify overseas job offers through authorised recruitment agencies and official government channels. Officials also warned against trusting job ads on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, or from unknown online contacts.