Hyderabad: A victim from Hyderabad alleged that military vans equipped with weapons transported him and others to a cybercrime centre in Myanmar after they crossed the Moei River. The details, recorded in an FIR filed by the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, point to the suspected involvement of the Border Guard Force, a splinter military group supporting the Junta, in protecting Chinese-run scam centres in Myawaddy.
According to the complaint filed on March 15, 2025, Shaik Hussain, a 25-year-old unemployed resident of Asif Nagar, Hyderabad, was lured into a fraudulent job offer in Myanmar under the guise of a data entry position. After an online interview via Telegram, his recruitment was finalised by agents Syed Irfan from Karnataka and Kamal Singh from Uttarakhand. He was then provided a flight ticket to Bangkok, where he was received and guided to Mae Sot, Thailand.
The FIR states that after crossing the Moei River in a boat, Hussain was received by military personnel armed with weapons. He was then forcibly transported in a military vehicle to KK4 Park in Myawaddy and handed over to Zhantu Company, a Chinese-operated cybercrime centre. Upon arrival, his passport was confiscated, and he was pressured to sign a work contract. When he refused, he was threatened and asked to pay 4500 USDT for his release.
Forced into Crypto Scam and Harsh Punishments
Hussain was forced to work in cryptocurrency fraud, primarily targeting investors in the United States. His job involved creating fake social media accounts, impersonating NRIs and celebrities, and building trust with victims over several days. Once the targets were convinced, they were directed to invest in cryptocurrency through Chinese-controlled trading platforms with manipulated price graphs.
Hussain was promised a 1% commission on investments of 100,000 USDT, but as he failed to meet targets, he was subjected to extreme punishments. The FIR details that initially, his work hours were extended to 18 hours a day, and his weekly day off was removed. Later, he was subjected to physical punishment, including standing motionless for hours under the sun and being forced to do frog jumps over 200 metres.
Escape and Repatriation to India
Hussain and other victims secretly contacted the Indian Embassy, which assured them that a rescue operation was underway. On February 23, 2025, a military operation led by authorities from Myanmar, Thailand, and China offered workers the option to leave. Hussain and his cousin, Mohd Shabaz, chose to escape and were transported to the Indian Embassy.
On March 11, 2025, they returned to India, arriving at Ghaziabad Airbase in a C-17 aircraft of the Indian military. In his complaint, Hussain requested strict action against Syed Irfan, Kamal Singh, and their associates, who allegedly facilitated his trafficking into cyber slavery. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau is now investigating the network of Indian recruiters sending workers to Myanmar’s scam centres and the possible role of the Border Guard Force in protecting these illegal operations.