Delhi Crime: Visa fraud racket targeting Nepali citizens busted

Delhi Crime: The Delhi Police busted a major visa fraud racket that allegedly duped 19 Nepali citizens of nearly Rs 70 lakh on the pretext of providing Serbian work visas, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Jayakab (41), a resident of Greater Noida, and Rupesh (42), from Chhawla in southwest Delhi.

The racket was uncovered after a 22-year-old Nepali national filed a complaint, stating he and 18 others had fallen victim to the scam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vikram Singh said.

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According to the police, the complainant alleged that the accused approached him and his associates in April 2024 at Jagjeet Nagar, Seelampur, and promised jobs in Serbia. To gain their trust, the accused showed them scanned copies of purported Serbian visas and job offers. Subsequently, the victims handed over their original passports and paid around Rs 70 lakh via QR code-based transactions.

“The victims travelled to Delhi in July this year, expecting to collect their visas and fly to Serbia, but the accused began avoiding them and later refused to return their passports or money,” the DCP said.

They were also allegedly threatened when they confronted the accused. Verification revealed that the visas were forged, leaving the victims stranded without documents or funds, the officer said.

On August 25, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Jayakab was apprehended from Greater Noida, and 13 Nepali passports and a mobile phone containing incriminating chats were recovered from his possession.

On his disclosure, the police arrested his associate, Rupesh. Meanwhile, efforts are on to trace the other accomplices identified as Sachin and George alias Bijoj.

The investigation revealed that the accused targeted vulnerable Nepali citizens seeking overseas jobs, enticing them with fake visas and job offers while collecting large sums of money before fleeing. They communicated through phone calls and avoided using SIM cards registered under their names to evade detection.

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Police noted that approximately Rs 60 lakh of the cheated amount was funnelled through hawala channels and deposited into bank accounts of their associates.

Part of the proceeds was also transferred to accounts belonging to Jayakab’s wife and friends.