Surat: The city’s cybercrime police have busted an international human trafficking racket with the arrest of three men accused of sending more than 40 people to Myanmar. The victims included not only Indians but also nationals from Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka.

The operation came to light after a raid at Penta Homes in Zirakpur, Punjab, where police arrested Nipender alias Neerav Chaudhary (24) of Uttarakhand and Preet Kamani (21) of Rajkot, while Ashish Rana, a Surat-based visa agent, was nabbed separately in the city.

According to investigators, the accused lured victims with promises of jobs in Thailand offering salaries of ₹70,000–1 lakh. Instead, they were trafficked to Laukkai in Myanmar — a hub of cyber fraud syndicates run by Chinese companies. Many victims from Gujarat were confined there and forced to work in call centres, where they were pressured to scam Indians through schemes involving digital arrests, stock market investments, and cryptocurrency frauds.

Police said Chaudhary, employed as an HR manager with a Chinese firm, recruited people through social media, while Kamani and Rana acted as agents. Each recruit was charged ₹3–4 lakh, with commissions paid to the agents. The racket had been active for over 18 months, police added. In all, 11 accused have been booked under charges of cheating, human trafficking, wrongful confinement, and criminal conspiracy.

Rajkot’s Preet Kamani turned recruiter after being sent back due to poor English

Investigations further revealed that Preet Kamani had travelled to Thailand on a tourist visa in June 2024 before crossing into Myanmar with the help of a Pakistani agent named Alex to work for Chinese firm KK3. However, the company found his English inadequate and sent him back, demanding either a replacement or ₹3.5 lakh. Kamani then arranged for his friend Rajnish Banna to take his place. During his stay, Kamani met co-accused Nipender Chaudhary and, after returning to India, began working with him to recruit more people for the racket.

During the raid, police seized four mobile phones and a laptop, which revealed records of over 40 people trafficked to Myanmar through Thailand. The victims included several Indians along with nationals from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia. Investigators also found that Kamani had partnered with Ashish Rana of Vyara in Tapi to source recruits. Together, they allegedly trafficked nine people from Gujarat alone, charging victims 3,000 USDT each, while Rana received a commission of ₹37,000 per candidate.