Mumbai: NIA Takes Over Job Placement Scam Case, Agents Arrested For Allegedly Trafficking Youths To Fake Overseas Call Centres

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the case registered against job placement agents who allegedly duped scores of youths and made them work outside India in fake call centres involved in online scams.

The Mumbai police had registered the case after complaints from a few victims who managed to return with timely help from the Indian Consulate. The police had arrested two agents, Jerry Jacob and Godfrey Alvares. More accused have been identified and will soon be arrested.

The case was officially transferred to the NIA on May 25, following which the agency registered a fresh case against the accused and produced the arrested persons before the court. To unearth the international racket, the agency sought their custody for nine days for further interrogation.

In court, NIA prosecutor Sundeep Sadavarte contended that the racket has its tentacles spread all over India and many people fell prey to promises of jobs in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Bangkok, but were instead made slaves. The agency contended that victims claimed that their passports were taken and they were asked to pay a certain amount for release, failing which they were threatened with fatal consequences. He also pointed out that the victims were not even paid salaries. 

The plea was opposed by defence lawyer Zoheb Shaikh, who said that these facts are “exasperation”. “These boys (victims) were no good. The boys had been creating a ruckus in Laos, breached conditions of their contracts and they also missed their duties. They were caught by law enforcement agencies in Laos on December 31 and, in fact, the arrested accused paid from their pocket to save them and rescued them,” he argued.

Shaikh said the victims cooked up the story after they were caught by law enforcement agencies. He argued, “They (victims) were free to make calls and had social media accounts… if they were stuck, they could have made attempts to approach their relatives or other law enforcement agencies.”

Last month, the sessions court had rejected the bail pleas of both accused, observing that “there is a serious allegation of wrongful detention and human trafficking and unlawful extortion by giving life threats”. While rejecting their bail pleas, the court said that their “release would hamper the investigation as they may tamper with the prosecution evidence”.