(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Kochi: Kochi police have apprehended Afsar Ashraf, a Palluruthy native, for his role in trafficking six young men to a Chinese company in Laos. The victims were reportedly coerced into working for the company, and the police have also filed a case against the company's employees for threatening and forcing the youths into illegal online activities.

Afsar lured six Palluruthy youths to Laos with job promises, collecting Rs 50,000 from each. He then sold them to Ying Long, a Chinese company engaging in online scams, for Rs 4 lakh each. The company manipulated the youths into signing Chinese contracts and forced them into illegal activities, confiscating their passports to control their movements.

The company coerced the youths into perpetrating online financial scams, targeting Indians through chatting apps and deceiving them into online trading, resulting in financial losses. Following a complaint from one of the escaped youths, Afsar Ashraf was apprehended. The police are pursuing further investigations, as more individuals are suspected to be involved. Cases have also been registered against some Chinese company employees, including Song and Bonnie, for their alleged involvement in the scams.

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