Rs 10L per visa, about 60 fake visas each month: Fake document racket busted

New Delhi: The IGI Airport Police have dismantled an illegal factory producing counterfeit visas in Tilak Nagar and arrested six agents involved in the racket.

The IGI Airport Police Station was alerted after a passenger traveling with a forged

visa was apprehended at the IGI Airport.

The accused were identified as Manoj Monga (51) son of Lt. Omprakash Monga resident of Ashok Nagar, Tilak Nagar, New Delhi, Shiva Gautam alias Nepali (42) resident of Kathmandu, Nepal, Naveen alias Rana (25) resident of Karnal, Haryana, Balbir Singh (65) resident of Nangloi, Delhi, Jaswinder Singh alias Minty (55) resident of Karnal, Haryana, and Ashif Ali (27) resident of Jind, Haryana.

According to police, the factory run by Manoj Monga was raided, leading to the seizure of a significant quantity of materials used in producing fake visas.

A wide range of equipment was confiscated, including colour printers, embossing machines, UV machines, laptops, scanners, and tools essential for creating counterfeit visas. Among the items seized were 30 fake visa stickers,

16 Nepalese and Indian passports, numerous rubber stamps, and metal dyes representing various countries.

This operation was launched following the apprehension of Sandeep, a passenger from Haryana, at the IGI Airport.

Sandeep was caught attempting to board a flight to Rome with a fake Swedish visa. Upon investigation, Sandeep revealed that he had paid Rs 7.5 lakh to agents Ashif Ali and Naveen Rana for arranging the fraudulent visa.

Their interrogation led to further arrests, including those of Shiva Gautam, Balbir Singh, Jaswinder Singh, and the mastermind, Manoj Monga.

DCP Usha Rangnani of IGI Airport stated, “This operation is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to dismantle the network of fraudulent agents exploiting vulnerable people seeking foreign employment. We urge citizens only to use authorised agencies to avoid legal complications.”

The investigation revealed that Monga, highly skilled in graphic design, had been running the fake visa factory for five years.

He had previously worked in the flex printing business but struggled to make ends meet. He was introduced to the illegal trade by Jaideep Singh, who provided him with the equipment and initial orders for fake visas.

Over time, Monga became proficient in producing counterfeit visa stickers, often completing a fake visa in as little as 20-25 minutes.

The fake visas were primarily ordered by freelance agents who supplied personal details and required formats to Monga.

His illegal operation also produced fake Permanent Residency (PR) cards and appointment letters in the name of VFS Global to further deceive customers.

The raid on Monga’s residence uncovered a trove of materials used for creating counterfeit documents, including watermark sheets, lamination sheets, gumming sheets, and envelopes printed with the VFS Global logo.

They were making some 30-60 fake visas every month and could prepare a visa sticker in just 20 minutes. Every fake visa was sold for Rs 8-10 lakh.

Among the items recovered were 23 rubber stamps from various countries, three fake PR cards, multiple embossing machines, and several metal and wooden dyes used to replicate official seals.