NIA arrests kingpin in Laos human trafficking case in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Delhi Police Special Cell, along with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), arrested Kamran Haider, a key accused in the Laos human trafficking and cyber slavery case near Nampally Railway Station in Hyderabad on Sunday.

The operation, which spanned over a week and covered 2,500 kilometers, led to the apprehension of the accused, who was then flown to Delhi for further investigation.

The arrest shows a major breakthrough for the NIA in dismantling an international human trafficking syndicate. The accused, who had been absconding, was involved in arranging flight tickets, falsifying documents, and facilitating illegal border crossings of victims with the help of contacts in the Golden Triangle Region.

In October 2024, the NIA had charged the accused along with four others in connection with case RC-09/2024/NIA/DLI. The co-accused were Manjoor Alam @ Guddu; Sahil; Ashish @ Akhil; and Pawan Yadav @ Afzal @ Afroz. Together, they were responsible for trafficking vulnerable Indian youths to the Golden Triangle Region in Lao PDR, where the victims were forced to commit cyber scams targeting European and American citizens.

The traffickers operated under the guise of a consultancy firm, Ali International Services, which was revealed by NIA investigations to be a front for human trafficking. The arrested individual was also implicated in extorting money from victims who attempted to escape the clutches of Chinese scammers, using cryptocurrency wallets.

A cash reward of Rs. 2 lakhs had been offered for the arrest of the accused, who was also facing a Non-Bailable Warrant issued by the Special NIA Court in New Delhi. The NIA’s investigation into the case is ongoing.