Mumbai Crime Branch Busts Racket Trafficking Youth to London for Low-Wage Jobs

Mumbai, India: The Mumbai Crime Branch has uncovered a major human trafficking racket, where 20-25 youngsters, aged 17 to 20, were sent to London under the guise of a student exchange programme but were instead forced into low-wage jobs as cleaners, drivers, and labourers.

The accused, identified as Vijender Prem Chand (34), who claimed to be a professor at Om Sterling Global University, Hisar, had trafficked students on three previous trips before being caught on his fourth attempt. Authorities are now investigating his links to Poonam Beniwal and Sunil Arora, who he alleges were the masterminds behind the operation.

The scam came to light on March 10 when immigration officials at Mumbai Airport detained seven students traveling to London via Jeddah. The students could not speak English, had no knowledge of their enrolled courses, and were unaware of the university they were supposed to attend. Further investigations revealed that families had paid ₹20 lakh per student to the traffickers.

The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch and registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Passport Act. Authorities have also identified an agent named Bittu, who coordinated from a London-based phone number, and a manhunt is underway to track him down.