Hyderabad: The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested eight accused individuals for their involvement in trafficking 24 people from Telangana to Myanmar’s cybercrime hubs, a senior official said on Friday.

The arrests followed the rescue of 540 Indians, including 24 from Telangana, from scam centres in Myanmar. These individuals were repatriated to India, prompting TGCSB to launch an extensive investigation.

TGSCB director Shikha Goel said they launched a thorough investigation, leading to the registration of 9 cases from 10 victims at different Cyber Crime Police Stations (CCPS) across Telangana.

During the crackdown, the TGCSB identified 15 agents and mediators involved in the scam.

“Eight of them have been arrested. Remaining are absconding and 5 are abroad. Efforts are underway to track and take necessary action against them,” she said.

The arrested individuals include Allepu Venkatesh of Jagtial, Challa Mahesh of Jagtial, Mohammed Jalal, Bomma Vasanth Kumar, Dasari Eknath Goud, H. Basheer Ahmed, Gajula Abhishek, all from Hyderabad, along with Katanguri Sai Kiran from Vemulawada.

The Central government played a key role in facilitating the rescue and repatriation of 540 Indian nationals trapped in cyber scam centres in Myawaddy, Myanmar. These individuals were brought back in two batches—283 on March 10 and 257 on March 11—arriving in Delhi before returning to their respective states.

Among them, 24 were from Telangana, with 14 arriving in Hyderabad on March 11 and the remaining 10 reaching on March 12.

The Cyber Security Bureau has appealed to people to exercise extreme caution while accepting overseas job offers, especially those promising high salaries with minimal qualifications.

It said before traveling abroad for employment, citizens should ensure that the job offer is verified through official channels like the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) via https://emigrate.gov.in.

They should also obtain a written agreement from the foreign employer before travel. Any unusual job descriptions or vague offers should be thoroughly scrutinised.

IANS