The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has detained a key figure in a transnational scheme that turned job seekers into prisoners of cryptocurrency scam centers.
On March 26, 2026, Sunil Nellattu Ramakrishnan, known as “Krish,” was arrested in Mumbai. He is accused of organizing an illegal human trafficking channel from India to Myanmar, where victims were held in fortified compounds (in the KK Park area of Myawaddy) and forced to work in crypto-fraud call centers.
Victims were promised high-paying jobs in Thailand, but after arriving by air, they were secretly transported across the border into Myanmar. There, their passports were confiscated, they were subjected to violence, and coerced into participating in:
· cryptocurrency investment frauds,
· “digital arrests” (false accusations demanding transfers of funds to “secure” crypto wallets),
· romance scams.
The investigation was launched after several Indian nationals managed to escape from Myanmar and provide testimony. During a search of Ramakrishnan’s premises, digital evidence was seized confirming his role as the “kingpin” of the network.
The CBI is continuing its investigation to identify other participants, including foreign nationals. The arrest marks one of the first instances where law enforcement has succeeded in reaching the top echelons of this criminal enterprise.