The Indian government is taking drastic measures to combat the growing threat of cybercrime and human trafficking, particularly in Southeast Asia. The Union Ministry of Telecommunications has announced it will disconnect approximately 2.17 crore mobile phone connections linked to fraudulent activities or forged documents.
This move comes amidst alarming reports of 29,466 Indians going missing in countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam after travelling on visitor visas between January 2022 and May 2024.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) revealed this information during a high-level inter-ministerial panel meeting convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier this month.
The meeting, attended by representatives from various agencies including the Bureau of Immigration, Financial Intelligence Unit, Reserve Bank of India, and security experts, focused on addressing the surge in cybercrime and human trafficking cases originating from Southeast Asia.
According to official data, over half of the missing individuals are between 20 and 39 years old, with a majority being male. Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu account for over one-third of the missing persons. Thailand is the biggest receiver reports over 20,450 missing Indians.
This alarming trend has been linked to the rise of "cyber slavery," where individuals are lured to Southeast Asia with promises of lucrative jobs but are instead forced into conducting cyber fraud and other illegal activities.
The DoT has outlined several measures to tackle this issue. In addition to disconnecting the 2.17 crore mobile connections, 2.26 lakh mobile handsets will be blocked.
To further strengthen security, telecom operators have been directed to block incoming international spoofed calls displaying Indian numbers. This initiative has already resulted in a 35% drop in such calls, with full implementation expected by December 31st, 2024.
To identify potential victims, telecom service providers are now required to provide weekly data on Indian mobile numbers roaming in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Myanmar.
Data analysis by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) revealed that approximately 45% of cybercrimes targeting Indians originate from Southeast Asia, with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal registering around 100,000 cyber complaints since January 2023.
The inter-ministerial panel has identified vulnerabilities in banking, immigration, and telecom systems that contribute to this problem. The Bureau of Immigration has been tasked with enhancing screening mechanisms to identify potential victims before they leave the country, while the Ministry of Civil Aviation will implement preventive measures at airports.
Survivors who have escaped these exploitative situations have recounted harrowing experiences of being forced to create fake social media profiles to lure people into cryptocurrency scams and other fraudulent schemes.
Their testimonies highlight the urgent need for increased vigilance and collaborative efforts between India and Southeast Asian countries to dismantle these transnational crime networks.
This concerted effort by various government agencies underscores the gravity of the situation and the determination to combat cybercrime and human trafficking. The disconnection of mobile connections and blocking of handsets are significant steps towards disrupting the operations of criminal networks and protecting vulnerable individuals from falling prey to these scams.
