Cybercrime investigators of the Tamil Nadu police have stepped up surveillance on returnees from the Southeast Asian ‘Golden Triangle’ region comprising Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar to gather intelligence on cyber slavery networks that operate from heavily guarded scam compounds.
Officials said they were working closely with the Bureau of Immigration and the Protector of Emigrants to obtain details of those arriving from these countries. The aim is to identify both victims and suspects linked to organised cyber fraud operations that targeted individuals, particularly in India.
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The State police have intensified their focus on online financial scams after finding a strong Tamil Nadu connection. Investigation revealed that a number of job-seeking youth from the State were trafficked to these countries and coerced into participating in cyber fraud. In addition, pre-activated SIM cards sourced from Tamil Nadu have been used by fraudsters to carry out scams.
The investigators were coordinating with central agencies and Indian diplomatic missions in the region to rescue victims and prosecute those involved. Data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal indicated that around 4,500 online fraud complaints are registered daily across India. In 2024 alone, victims reportedly lost about ₹30,000 crore to such scams.
