SRINAGAR, OCT 1: The State Investigation Agency (SIA), Kashmir, on Thursday carried out searches at two residential premises in Kulgam and Qazigund as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged transnational human trafficking and cyber fraud network suspected of exploiting unemployed youth through fraudulent overseas employment offers.
The searches were conducted in connection with FIR Number 01/2026 registered at Police Station SIA Kashmir, with investigators examining suspected recruitment, travel, financial and logistical links associated with the alleged network.
According to the SIA, search teams conducted operations at the premises of Gulam Nabi Khanday alias Charlie, Mohsin and Jerry Khan of Bungam Chewgam, Kulgam, and Ashiq Hussain Sheikh of Baghpora Yar Khushipora, Qazigund.
During the searches, investigators seized several items considered relevant to the probe, including mobile phones, identity documents, PAN cards, a passport and job agreements. The seized material is expected to be examined as investigators work to establish the nature and extent of the alleged network and identify possible links with other individuals.
The investigation centres on allegations that the network targeted unemployed and job-seeking youth by offering overseas employment opportunities, allegedly facilitating their movement through Thailand towards Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, where they were subsequently exploited in cyber-enabled fraudulent activities.
The alleged modus operandi has brought both human trafficking and cyber fraud dimensions under the scanner, with investigators examining whether victims were recruited under the guise of legitimate employment before being transported through international routes and compelled or induced to participate in cyber scam operations.
The seizure of job agreements and identity-related documents is particularly relevant to the investigation as agencies examine the recruitment process, the representations allegedly made to prospective job seekers and the mechanisms through which individuals were facilitated for overseas travel.
Investigators are also probing the possible financial trail associated with the network, including payments made by recruits, intermediaries involved in recruitment and travel arrangements, and potential transactions connecting local facilitators with overseas operators.
The SIA is examining the broader network to determine whether the suspects allegedly acted individually or as part of a coordinated chain involving local recruiters, travel facilitators, overseas handlers and cyber-fraud operators.
The international dimension of the case has added complexity to the investigation, with agencies seeking to establish the precise route followed by the allegedly trafficked individuals and identify persons operating at different stages of the suspected network.
Officials are also expected to analyse the digital material recovered from the seized mobile phones for potential evidence relating to communications, recruitment contacts, travel arrangements, financial transactions and links with individuals operating outside the country.
The SIA has maintained that the investigation remains focused on identifying the wider local and overseas network, tracing recruitment channels, examining financial transactions and establishing logistical connections.
The latest searches represent another step in the investigation, with the agency continuing to scrutinise evidence gathered during the operation and establish the roles, if any, of individuals linked to the premises searched.
Further investigation is in progress, and additional action may follow as investigators analyse the seized material and trace the alleged transnational links of the network.
