India CBI arrests suspect in Myanmar crypto scams

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Mumbai-based suspect accused of orchestrating a trafficking network that funnelled victims into crypto scam compounds in Myanmar.

The agency identified Sunil Nellathu Ramakrishnan, also known as Krish, as a key facilitator who lured Indians with fake overseas job offers before routing them into cyber-fraud operations in Southeast Asia.

“The larger opportunity is in strengthening crypto forensics capacity further,”

Said Hashtag Web3 founder, Vedang Vatsa.

Authorities said Ramakrishnan transported victims from Delhi to Bangkok under the guise of employment in Thailand before diverting them to compounds in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region, including the notorious KK Park.

Victims were allegedly forced into conducting digital arrest scams, romance fraud, and crypto investment schemes under conditions involving confinement, abuse, and restricted movement, while investigators recovered digital evidence linking the suspect to operations across Myanmar and Cambodia.

The arrest follows testimony from rescued Indian nationals who escaped the compounds and were repatriated last year, helping authorities map the broader trafficking and fraud network spanning multiple countries.

Globally, enforcement actions have intensified against such operations, with Interpol classifying scam compounds as a transnational threat and recent crackdowns in China and the United States targeting billions of dollars in crypto-linked fraud.