Cybercrime and Human Trafficking: India’s Southeast Asia Challenge

The proliferation of cybercrime networks across Southeast Asia has evolved into a complex security challenge, blurring the lines between digital fraud and human trafficking. India, a primary target of these scams and, at times, a source of complicity, faces significant human security and diplomatic implications. Cooperation with Thailand, strategically positioned within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is becoming increasingly vital to address these networks effectively.

The Convergence of Cybercrime and Human Exploitation

Initially perceived as a digital and financial crime issue, the situation has escalated to include human slavery. Individuals are trafficked into scam compounds, facing threats to their safety through confinement, violence, and coercion. Victims of online fraud experience substantial financial losses, while deceptive recruitment practices exploit vulnerable job seekers and migrants.

The Scale and Sophistication of Online Scams

Online scams originating in Southeast Asia – including investment, romance, cryptocurrency, and phishing schemes – have grown in scale and sophistication. These operations are no longer small, decentralized criminal enterprises but rather industrialized networks operating from tightly controlled compounds, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. A defining characteristic is their reliance on trafficked and coerced labor, with individuals lured by false job offers and subjected to abuse. This has led to the emergence of what is increasingly termed “cyber slavery,” where victims are compelled to perpetrate scams under duress.

Indian Nationals at Risk

Young Indians, particularly those with English language skills and technical expertise from states like Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar, are often targeted with promises of high-paying jobs as “Digital Sales and Marketing Executives” or “Customer Support Service” representatives. However, they are often coerced into participating in cybercrime operations upon arrival in Southeast Asia.

Thailand’s Critical Role

While not the primary location of scam compounds, Thailand serves as a crucial transit point for victims en route to scam centers in neighboring countries. It likewise sees victims rescued, detained, or repatriated within its borders. Financial transactions linked to these scams frequently intersect with Thai banking and digital payment systems. Thai authorities have undertaken periodic crackdowns and bilateral engagements, but responses remain largely reactive due to jurisdictional limitations and diplomatic sensitivities.

India’s Response and International Cooperation

Between 2022 and 2025, approximately 6,998 Indian nationals were rescued from cyber scam compounds across the region, including 2,168 from Myanmar alone . The Indian Embassy in Bangkok and the Consulate in Chiang Mai have coordinated repatriation efforts, often routing rescued individuals through the Andaman Islands.

The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), established in 2020, has intensified efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes. Between 2020 and 2025, the I4C blocked over 1.9 million mule accounts, 805 fraudulent apps, and 3,266 website links, preventing approximately US$245 million in suspicious transactions . The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has registered over 143,000 FIRs, sharing over six lakh suspicious data points with enforcement agencies.

The Ministry of External Affairs has issued public advisories since 2022, cautioning citizens against deceptive overseas employment offers in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar .

The Need for a Strategic Framework

Despite these efforts, India’s response remains largely reactive. A strategic framework integrating cybercrime into broader regional security and migration policies is needed. Intelligence-sharing with Southeast Asian partners remains episodic, financial investigations often halt at national borders, and labor mobility governance has not adapted to the realities of digital-era exploitation. Strengthening the capacity of law enforcement, cybercrime investigators, and diplomatic officials is also critical.

ASEAN’s Role and Challenges

Effective regional cooperation through ASEAN is essential for coordinating law enforcement, harmonizing legal frameworks, and facilitating intelligence and financial information sharing. On September 10, 2025, ASEAN issued a Declaration to strengthen regional cooperation against cybercrime and online scams, aiming to enhance law enforcement coordination and victim protection . However, implementation mechanisms are still under development. ASEAN’s principles of non-interference and sovereignty, along with divergent national priorities, can hinder collective action.

Looking Ahead: A Human Security Approach

Reframing cybercrime through a human security lens—focusing on victims and addressing structural vulnerabilities—offers a path forward. India and Thailand could lead by establishing a dedicated mechanism focused on cyber-enabled trafficking, institutionalizing intelligence-sharing, and developing joint standard operating procedures for victim rescue and rehabilitation. Integrating cybercrime into discussions on non-traditional security in the Bay of Bengal and BIMSTEC would also align with India’s broader regional security vision.