Indian youths trafficked to Myanmar: NIA court rejects bail pleas of two accused

Chandigarh: A Special NIA Court in Panchkula on Friday dismissed the bail applications of Ankit Bhardwaj and Ishtikhar Ali, two key accused in a human trafficking and cyber fraud racket allegedly linked to operations in Myanmar. The order was passed by Vijayant Sehgal, Special Judge for NIA and CBI cases in Haryana. Detailed orders for the rejection are yet to be uploaded by the court.Ankit Bhardwaj and Ishtikhar Ali were arrested by the National Investigation Agency, which filed a chargesheet against them in Feb this year. The agency has accused the duo of being part of an organised network that trafficked Indian youths to Myanmar under the guise of overseas employment opportunities. According to the NIA chargesheet filed before the special court, the two accused, along with an absconding suspected Chinese national identified as Lisa, lured vulnerable Indian youths with promises of legitimate jobs in Thailand. The victims were allegedly subjected to online interviews coordinated by the accused and made to believe they were being recruited for genuine employment. Investigations revealed that after reaching Thailand, the victims were illegally transported to the Myawaddy region of Myanmar, where they were forced to work in cyber scam centres. The trafficked youths were allegedly compelled to create fake social media profiles and target individuals in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, persuading them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.The NIA further alleged that victims who resisted were confined, threatened and coerced into continuing the illegal activities. Many were reportedly forced to pay substantial sums to secure their release.The case, originally registered by Haryana Police and later taken over by the NIA, pertains to a wider human trafficking and cybercrime network operating across international borders. The investigation remains ongoing.MSID: 131534100 413 |