Overview
- Salman Munir Shaikh was arrested on September 17 by the South Region Cyber Police from Naya Nagar, Mira Road.
- The case began with an August 2024 complaint after five recruits were taken to Bangkok on February 9 and then moved to Laos to Chinese handlers.
- Victims had passports seized, were forced into social‑media fraud, and were told to pay 20,000 Chinese yuan as ransom, with two new recruits allegedly swapped in to secure a release.
- Police say Shaikh contacted jobseekers via LinkedIn and took ₹30,000 each for visas and tickets after promising a ₹70,000 monthly salary.
- Authorities are probing links to a larger network and have advised verifying overseas recruiters and being wary of tourist or visa‑on‑arrival arrangements.