Recruiter in Cambodian cyber slavery scam held

Chennai: Madhan Vadivel, 35, of Madurai, who runs a restaurant chain ‘Jallikattu' in Cambodia, was arrested by TN police for being a key recruiter of youths for a cyber slavery racket in Cambodia.Madhan was arrested following an inquiry based on a complaint by a victim from Tirupathur. Police tracked his movements and arrested him from a hideout in Madurai. Inquiries revealed he had been operating the racket for the past three years and had trafficked more than 100 victims to Cambodia.Police said he lured victims with promises of a high-paying job in Cambodia and took money from them to arrange for travel. On arriving in Cambodia, they were handed over to operators of cyber scam compounds run by foreign nationals. Investigators said the victim was confined inside the compound and forced to participate in cyber fraud activities, before he escaped, sought assistance from the Indian Embassy and returned safely to India.Police said Madhan supplied food from ‘Jallikattu' to trafficked Indian victims in scam compounds. He maintained an international network of travel agents, immigration facilitators, taxi operators and foreign nationals in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Madhan was produced before a magistrate court in Madurai, and was later brought to Chennai, produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody. Police seized phones, SIM cards and passport-related documents from the accused for forensic examination.