The Delhi Police have apprehended over 100 fraudulent travel agents accused of sending passengers abroad using various deceptive methods, as of June this year, officials announced on Thursday.
This marks a more than 200 percent increase compared to the same period last year, officials said.
These arrests were made in Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
A statement from IGI Airport revealed that 51 fraudulent agents were caught during the same period in 2023.
“We have arrested a total of 108 such agents nationwide. The police are now focusing on holding agents accountable instead of just targeting passengers who may unknowingly fall victim to illegal immigration schemes while seeking better opportunities abroad,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Delhi Usha Rangnani.
Rangnani also mentioned that approximately 75 Look Out Circulars (LOCs) have been issued for agents who have fled abroad or remain untraceable, ensuring their capture upon arrival or departure from India.
Explaining the agents’ methods, Rangnani said that they provide counterfeit visas that closely resemble genuine ones. Despite their efforts, passengers are often caught at immigration check posts or airline counters, or even at the destination country’s immigration check.
“In the first six months of this year, we have arrested 19 agents involved in fake visa scams and 11 agents involved in ‘donkey routes’ (helping people cross borders illegally),” the DCP added.
Also Read: Dengue Returns: Hospitals, civic agencies gear up to counter the threat of vector-borne diseases
Rangnani further mentioned that 24 agents were apprehended for arranging passports of individuals with similar facial features for low-profile passengers, enabling smoother navigation through the immigration process. Additionally, three agents involved in changing identities after blacklisting were arrested.
She cited a case where an agent was arrested for disguising a 24-year-old man as a 67-year-old to use someone else’s passport.
“Two agents were arrested under the Fake Seaman Book scheme for fabricating counterfeit Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC) or Seaman Books. We also arrested 21 agents for providing fake Indian passports to foreign nationals and 12 agents for tampering with passports. Additionally, we apprehended eight agents for creating fake travel histories and seven agents for ‘no departure’ cases,” the DCP concluded. (With inputs from PTI)
