Hyderabad: A Secunderabad-based businessman has been arrested for trafficking unemployed youth abroad under the pretext of job offers and linking them to international cyber scam operations.
The Hyderabad CCS Cyber Crime unit on Friday arrested Chikkala Santosh Kumar of Warasiguda following an investigation into a trading scam. Police say Kumar operated a consultancy firm that promised overseas employment, and sent multiple job seekers to countries including Cambodia, Singapore, and Dubai.
According to police, Kumar previously worked at an airport in 2015–16, where he made contacts that helped launch his consultancy services. During one such recruitment drive, he sent three men to Cambodia, where they were introduced to Chinese national “Toto”, an alleged handler for a cybercrime syndicate.
Kumar then began working with the syndicate, supplying Indian bank accounts in exchange for commission. He withdrew funds received from cyber fraud victims and transferred the proceeds to the scammers using internet banking.
The investigation found that Kumar had lured several men from his village into these foreign scam hubs. The three sent to Cambodia were joined by others, including a BTech student, an auto driver, a delivery worker, and a private firm employee. All have been arrested.
The police said a Hyderabad resident lost ₹7.22 lakh after being duped with promises of high returns in trading. Kumar allegedly provided the account into which the funds were deposited and helped move the money overseas.
He is named as a suspect in six separate cybercrime cases across India, police added.