Transnational Human Trafficking Case: NIA Attaches Two Assets of Wanted Cambodia-Based Indian National

New Delhi: In a move to dismantle the nexus of a transnational syndicate, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday said it has attached two immovable properties of a Cambodia-based Indian national.

The properties involved one flat in Maharashtra's Thane and a piece of land in Bihar's Siwan district. Both had been purchased by wanted accused Anand Kumar Singh in his wife's name using money earned illegally from human trafficking activities.

NIA's action followed the orders of its special Court at Patna in a transnational human trafficking and cyber fraud case.

"The accused, a Cambodia-based Indian national, was involved in trafficking Indian youth to Cambodia for forced criminal cyber frauds," said the NIA, citing its investigations.

The special Court of NIA at Patna had established the two properties to be proceeds of crime and had, on December 10, ordered their attachment under section 107 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). It had further directed that the money obtained after their auction-sale to be forfeited.

As per NIA's investigation, the accused was part of a syndicate engaged in luring vulnerable youth from India with false promise of well-paying legitimate jobs in foreign countries.

"Once the victims reached the foreign land, their passports were seized by the syndicate and they were sold to scam companies. Refusal to work for these companies led to mental and physical torture," said the NIA.