#FactCheck: AI Video made by Pakistan which says they launched a cross-border airstrike on India's Udhampur Airbase

Introduction
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When Tamil Nadu Police arrested a man from Vellore in May 2026 on suspicion of being the point person helping Indian youth to be smuggled into cyber scam compounds in Cambodia, the papers led with the accused. They shouldn't have led with the accused but with the system. The arrest, one in a long string of them in Tamil Nadu, Madurai, and other states, is not simply another one-off policing victory. Rather, the arrest gives us an insight into a larger, darker world: an international criminal organisation that has successfully combined human trafficking and cybercrime, a new trend in criminality that specialists are calling 'cyber slavery.'
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What Is Cyber Slavery?

“Cyber slavery” involves trafficking persons under the pretence of employment, forcing them into committing online fraud to serve criminal enterprises. Victims are not merely victims of the work they are forced to do; they are often turned into culprits as they become complicit in victimising others. Trafficked victims are compelled to participate in frauds targeted at unsuspecting victims all around the globe. These activities, organised into robust criminal schemes, involve victims of sex or labour trafficking who are forced into operating romance scams or the so-called "pig butchering" scams that defraud people of their investment in cryptocurrency, all in heavily secured complexes guarded with threats of violence and torture. The extent of the problem is enormous, with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimating in a 2023 report that there are over 100,000 victims of cyber scam compounds in Cambodia and another 120,000 in Myanmar. Schemes throughout Southeast Asia were projected to commit as much as $39.9 billion in fraudulent schemes a year.
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Why Southeast Asia? The Geography of Organised Crime
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In order to answer why Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and the surrounding regions have developed into the cyber slavery hub of the world, we can draw together an array of structural reasons:

• Casino clampdown and crime diversification: Cambodia's ban on online gambling in 2019 broke down established casino-related criminal networks. This saw old casinos and Special Economic Zones turn into cyber scam compound operations.
• Corruption and state complicity: A pre-existing environment of corruption and involvement of politically linked figures permitted scamming networks to flourish, and the armed groups in the border areas of Myanmar are reportedly complicit in these operations through supplying land and protection for the networks to operate in.
• Poor governance in the border areas: The lack of state control in the frontier areas of Myanmar provided the criminal networks with a secure sanctuary in which they could operate with impunity and cross borders to escape crackdowns and move their operations.
• Post-pandemic growth: The economic stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in the supply of vulnerable individuals available to fill the scam networks, as well as unprecedented profit margins on scams.

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The Recruitment Pipeline: How Are Indian Youth Trapped?
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The typical journey from an Indian town or village to a locked compound in Southeast Asia follows the same narrative:

• The bait: On platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram, gangs lure with posts of lucrative overseas employment for IT work, customer service, data entry, and digital marketing with attractive, albeit feasible, pay packages (Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh per month) and destinations such as Thailand and Singapore added for a veneer of genuineness.
• The recruiters: Local agents who gain trust, arrange visas and flight tickets, and collect the application fees are key intermediaries. Cases registered in Vellore and Madurai hint at recruitment agents receiving a commission for each person successfully smuggled into a trap, linked to larger travel and immigration networks.
• The lie: Victims are assured that they will be working legitimately in Thailand, but on reaching the border and crossing over, they find themselves pushed into scam compounds in neighbouring countries and have their passports, mobile phones and devices confiscated, thus rendering any escape attempt futile.
• The trap: In the interim, fake interviews, false job promises and convincing flight tickets serve to maintain the facade until the victims are forced to participate in cyber-fraud schemes.

The Architecture of Coercion: Life Inside the Scam Compounds
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It is in these compounds that the fates of the victims become known. Survivor accounts, investigations and UN human rights reports provide evidence of these circumstances. These compounds are often surrounded by barbed wire fences, monitored with cameras and heavily guarded. Once a potential victim is captured, they are stripped of their passports and any other electronic devices, preventing them from being able to contact the outside world or to escape. Workers are allocated stringent targets, ranging from the number of potential victims they must solicit for scams and the amount of money they must acquire through such scams. Failure to do so, or perceived disobedience, may lead to beatings, electroshock treatment, starvation and long periods in confinement. These beatings are supplemented with psychological torture, with scammers assuring their victims that they owe money for their journey, stay and training. This method of debt bondage keeps people at the compound even when the opportunity for escape is presented to them. The victims are then forced to take part in more complex online scams, which involve romance scams, fake investment scams, and impersonation scams using scripts and with supervision. In some cases, families will be encouraged to pay for their captive relatives' release by ransom, whereas those who refuse to comply or meet performance requirements may be sold and transferred to another compound as a piece of property within a transnational criminal network.
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Cybercrime Is No Longer Just About Hacking
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This emergency challenges the existing notion of cybercrime. The scam compound of Southeast Asia is not about a lonely hacker or a standalone breach; it is a form of organised cyber slavery in which trafficked individuals are made to commit financial fraud on an industrial level.

The probe of India's NIA found that recruitment is done in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Transport agents in Chennai and Madurai provide logistics, and Dubai and Bangkok act as transit points on the way to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It makes use of cryptocurrency wallets, shadow banking, and shell companies for the movement of funds across international borders. Companies such as the Huione Group has been accused of facilitating billions of dollars in financial transactions for scam infrastructure before receiving sanctions from the U.S.

To illustrate the threat landscape, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 19 entities spread across Myanmar and Cambodia and said that cyber scam operations looted $10 billion worth last year. Also, cryptocurrency transactions related to trafficking crimes jumped by 85% last year, which speaks to the expanding nature of the global criminal infrastructure.
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India's Exposure: A National Vulnerability
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The scale of exposure for India is large and expanding. The most likely victims are educated, and aspirational young men and women from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, seeking work abroad, which perfectly aligns with the primary target of such human trafficking networks.

Repeated incidents of people from Tamil Nadu falling victim to these networks have come to light. As far back as 2022, the chief minister wrote to the prime minister that close to 300 Indians, roughly 50 Tamils included, were being held in Myanmar. The Madurai-Cambodia case that came to light in 2026 revealed an entire network spanning Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, with authorities believing that thousands of Indians might have been trafficked there over the past three years. Such cases from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and some northern Indian states have been reported. Last year, India had to charter Air Force flights to rescue over 549 Indians from cyber scam centres along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

The Indian embassy in Phnom Penh assisted the Indian nationals along with the CBI, MEA, and NIA in the rescue of 67 Indians in September 2024; however, these operations are largely reactive in the face of the vast and evolving transboundary crisis.
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Prevention
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The best solution is awareness. The following are tangible signs that a job offer might be a lead to trafficking:

Red Flags within the job offer:

• Receiving unsolicited recruitment messages on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram from unknown numbers/contacts.
• Offer of unbelievably high salaries in undefined roles like ‘data entry,’ ‘online marketing’ or ‘customer service’ outside India.
• Request for upfront money to cover costs of visas, travel, accommodation, and training.
• Job offers to places in Thailand or Singapore involving complex transit routes through other countries.
• An interview process entirely through messaging apps, where the company has no real office address or registration number.
• Urgency and/or confidentiality required.

Verification:

• Check if the recruiter is registered on MEA's e-Migrate portal-this is a portal where MEA lists authorised overseas recruiters.
• Verify the authenticity of the company through its business registration with official registries in the foreign country.
• Contact the Indian Embassy/Consulate in that foreign country if something doesn't add up about the offer.
• Do not hand over your passport to your employer on arrival; it is standard practice for recruiters working as traffickers to confiscate it.

What to do if trapped:

• Contact the closest Indian embassy or consulate immediately.
• Call the MEA overseas helpline: 1800-11-3090.
• Lodge a report on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in).

Policy Imperatives
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On their own, individual consciousness cannot undo such a massive criminal infrastructure. India has to enforce the Emigration Act rigorously, implement mandatory licensing of recruitment agents and create a specialised task force consisting of NIA, CBI, MEA and the states’ cybercrime units. Pre-departure orientations should also become mandatory for migrant workers who go to Southeast Asia. Globally, India needs to work more closely with Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos via intel sharing protocols, victim repatriations and action against scam compounds. Financial probes must be on par with enforcement investigations to catch up with the perpetrators’ network, the cryptocurrency and hawala channels that facilitate money laundering and finance trafficking operations, as that would severely hit these networks.
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Conclusion
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This arrest of the recruiter in Vellore is just a small piece of a larger network. What we see in these instances is the marriage of cybercrime, trafficking, and financial fraud into a larger transnational ecosystem that systematically preys on the economic vulnerability of individuals. These young Indians are not simply falling for scams; they are being systematically targeted, recruited, trafficked, and forced into these criminal operations by a networked structure. The scam compounds in Cambodia and along the border of Myanmar and Thailand are only the end of a process that very likely starts with a convincing job offer on social media. Fighting cyber slavery will not be as simple as more arrests; we need education and international efforts, as well as policy responses that match the scope and scale of the problem.
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References
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1. https://the420.in/78415-2vellore-man-cambodia-cyber-slavery-trafficking-case/
2. https://the420.in/madhan-vadivel-cambodia-cyber-slavery-trafficking-racket-investigation/
3. https://www.newsonair.gov.in/tamil-nadu-police-arrest-key-recruiter-in-cambodia-cyber-slavery-racket/
4. https://kashmirdotcom.in/2026/05/16/cambodia-linked-human-trafficking-cyber-slavery-racket-nia-chargesheets-five-including-absconding-kingpin/
5. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/16/more-than-1000-arrested-in-cambodian-cyber-scam-raids
6. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/why-southeast-asias-online-scam-industry-is-so-hard-to-shut-down
7. https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-myanmar-became-global-center-cyber-scams
8. https://www.amlrightsource.com/resources/scam-states-the-cybercrime-corruption-complex-in-southeast-asia-and-the-collapse-of-anti-money-laundering-enforcement
9. https://newlinesinstitute.org/global-security-mil-priorities/cybercrimes-human-trafficking-and-cryptocurrency-in-southeast-asias-special-economic-zones/
10. https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2026/03/21/lured-by-jobs-sold-into-slavery-indias-crackdown-on-cyber-trafficking-continues.html

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Executive Summary

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A video is going viral on social media showing police personnel allegedly dragging an elderly woman. The video is being shared with the claim that it was filmed in Manipur and shows the Indian Army committing atrocities against women. The CyberPeace Research Wing found that the viral video is not from Manipur. It was recorded during protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, and is being circulated with a misleading claim.

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Claim:

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A video shared on social media claims that the Indian Army is committing atrocities against local people, particularly women, in Manipur. The post further alleges that R&AW chief Parag Jain is allowing Manipur to burn and that people will never forget the alleged brutality.

https://x.com/i/status/2084180049285005687 

Factcheck

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To verify the claim, our team extracted keyframes from the viral video and conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the search, we found the same video uploaded on the Facebook page of Public Vani News on July 31. The accompanying description stated: “Police action against an elderly tribal woman is shameful. During protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur, a video showing police removing an elderly tribal woman has gone viral. Protesters claim they were holding a Jal Satyagraha, hunger strike and Chita Andolan while demanding fair compensation and protection of their land, forests and homes.”

The post and screenshot are provided below:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1031078973033873 

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In the next step of the research, we found the same video on an Instagram channel named policemedianews, where it was shared without the misleading Manipur-related claim. The post link and screenshot are provided below

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https://www.instagram.com/reels/DbfALvaT4mH/ 

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Conclusion:

The research found that the viral claim is misleading. The video is not from Manipur and does not show Indian Army personnel targeting women there. The footage is from protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, where police were seen removing an elderly tribal woman during the demonstration. The video is being shared on social media with a false context.

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Introduction

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) ‘Cyber Crime In India Report 2022’, A total of 65,893 cases were registered under Cyber Crimes, showing an increase of 24.4% in registration in comparison to 52,974 cases registered in 2021. The crime rate increased from 3.9 in 2021 to 4.8 in 2022. During 2022, 64.8% of cyber-crime cases registered were for the motive of fraud (42,710 out of 65,893 cases), followed by Extortion with 5.5% (3,648 cases) and Sexual Exploitation with 5.2% (3,434 cases). The statistics released by NCRB show the increased rate of cyber crimes in the country, which poses a significant question of safety in the online world. The rise in cybercrime indicates a rise in emerging criminal groups with malicious intentions, creating new cybercrime hotspots in the country where these groups target and commit cyber crimes despite limited resources.

Cyber Crime Hotspots

Police have recently arrested several cyber criminals in a specific region, indicating that certain areas have become hotspots for cybercrime. Mewat region is one such hotspot indicating a growing trend of cybercrime operating from this area. The Mewat gang's modus operandi is quite different; Cybercriminals in Mewat scam mobile owners just using smartphones and SIM cards without kingpins and targeting mobile owners. The scammers also lure people through online marketplaces such as OLX, in which they pretend to sell possessions and then either physically lure victims to pick-up locations or scam them virtually. 

A study conducted by Future Crime Research Foundation and IIT Kanpur in 2023 has revealed that Jamatara city, once considered the cyber crime capital of India, is no longer the epicentre. The study found that 35 hotspots in India are actively involved in cybercrime activities. The top 10 cybercrime hotspots in India collectively account for 80% of cybercrime-related cases in India. These districts are strategically located near India's capital or closer to the National Capital Region (NCR). These districts are strategically placed with multiple borders, making them easy targets for criminals.  

Online financial fraud and social media-related crimes are the most common in India. Cybercriminals exploit data as a gold mine, using it to commit crimes. For instance, they can obtain banking and insurance data, use simple AI tools to cheat victims, and they can easily impersonate identities to lure innocent people. In cybercrime hotspots, sextortion is a modern way for cybercriminals to record and demand money. Loan app fraud, OLX fraud, and job fraud also originate from these specific regions.

Recommendations 

To counter the challenges posed by emerging cybercrime hubs, the following recommendations are to be considered: 

• Advanced threat Intelligence: The digital landscape is evolving, and the threat landscape is becoming more complex. AI's role in cybersecurity is becoming increasingly critical, both positively and negatively, as it helps in understanding and addressing advanced threats. AI is capable of proactive threat hunting, real-time anomaly detection, and swift incident response.
• Enhancing capabilities of Law Enforcement Agencies: Law enforcement agencies must be sensitised to advanced tools or techniques to investigate cyber crime cases effectively. The development and implementation of advanced forensic tools and technologies need to be utilised or implemented to keep up with the evolving tactics of cybercrime perpetrators. 
• Continuous Monitoring: Continuous cybersecurity monitoring is crucial for detecting anomalies and preventing cyber-attacks. It involves analysing systems and data to establish baseline security, identify deviations, and investigate potential threats. Cybersecurity experts use data observability tools, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to detect unexpected dataset changes.
• Cyber Security Awareness: Public awareness needs to be higher. Cybercrime prevention and cybersecurity is a shared responsibility of all of us by being aware of the threats and following the best practices. The frequent interaction between law enforcement and the public is necessary to raise awareness about safeguarding personal and financial information. Effective campaigns on cyber security are necessary to educate netizens.

Safety Tips for Netizens

Install up-to-date security software and firewalls on devices, use strong passwords for accounts, and regularly update software and applications. Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading files from unknown sources, and be cautious of your personal information.

Conclusion

The rise of Cyber Crime Hotspots in specific regions or districts has significantly exacerbated the issue of increasing cybercrime rates. In order to combat cybercrime more effectively, it is necessary for law enforcement agencies to strengthen their coordination between different states and to adapt advanced technology methods to counter cybercrime threats effectively. Moreover, educating netizens about cyber crime threats and providing best practices is an effective method to counter these threats, considered the first line of defense against cybercrime.

References

• https://ncrb.gov.in/uploads/nationalcrimerecordsbureau/custom/1701607577CrimeinIndia2022Book1.pdf
• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/no-kingpins-just-a-smartphone-and-sim-card-how-cybercriminals-in-mewat-scam-mobile-owners/articleshow/98062889.cms?from=mdr
• https://www.futurecrime.org/fcrf-cyber-crime-survey-2023
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/jamtara-loses-crown-as-new-remote-districts-rewrite-indias-cybercrime-map/articleshow/104475868.cms?from=mdr
• https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/secure-india/80-of-cyber-crimes-from-10-new-districts-iit-report/103921338
• https://www.dw.com/en/how-mewat-became-indias-new-hub-for-cyber-criminals/video-68674527
• https://www.indiatoday.in/from-india-today-magazine/story/into-cybercrime-hotspot-india-mewat-rajasthan-haryana-uttar-pradesh-2381545-2023-05-19
• https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/spotlight-how-nuh-district-in-haryana-became-a-breeding-ground-for-cybercriminals/article67098193.ece
• https://www.opindia.com/2024/04/nuh-mewat-cyber-crime-haryana-police-crackdown/#google_vignette

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