LUCKNOW For those allegedly recruited by the fake international call centre busted in Lucknow, an American accent mattered more than academic qualifications. The syndicate hired young people from across the country largely on the basis of fluent English and their ability to mimic American speech, while many recruits had no qualifications beyond Class 10 or 12, said police.Authorities sent 119 individuals to jail on Thursday, hours after they were detained during the raid. (HT Photo)Investigators said most of the 119 arrested individuals are below the age of 30. Previous experience in international BPOs or call centres was considered an added advantage during recruitment, but formal educational qualifications were not a pre-requisite.According to the police, employees were paid monthly salaries ranging between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000, entirely in cash, besides performance-linked incentives. “Higher the collections, higher the incentive,” said an officer.Despite functioning like a corporate office, the alleged operation maintained virtually no formal employment records.“Accommodation for the employees was arranged by the company operating under the name Solaris Solution. None of them was issued appointment letters, employment contracts or any statutory employment documents,” said commissioner of police Amrendra Kumar Sengar.Police said the recruits were housed in rented flats across upscale neighbourhoods, including Gomti Nagar Extension, Sushant Golf City, Vibhuti Khand and Arjunganj, and were provided transport to and from work.The call centre operated exclusively during night hours —from 8pm to 6am — to match working hours in the United States.“The office was equipped with modern communication infrastructure, dedicated workstations, laptops, high-speed internet and internet-based calling platforms that enabled uninterrupted operations targeting overseas victims,” ADCP (crime) Kiran Yadav said.Investigators said the workforce had been recruited from several states, including UP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and MP, while a sizeable number of callers came from the North-East and eastern India, including Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, West Bengal and neighbouring regions, allegedly because of their fluency in English.Although many recruits were school pass-outs, police found that several others held professional and graduate degrees.