Forged visa, fake route to US: Pb agents caught in trafficking case

NEW DELHI: In a major crackdown on human trafficking and passport fraud, IGI Airport Police have arrested two Punjab-based agents involved in illegal immigration to France and the United States via a complex route.

The arrests followed the deportation of 27-year-old Prithipal Singh from the U.S., whose tampered passport raised suspicion at Delhi airport. Singh, from Jalandhar, disclosed he had paid Rs 30 lakh to agent Ajit Pal Singh to reach France using the “donkey route” via Dubai, Serbia and Romania.

Abandoned in France, he later paid another Rs 15 lakh to agent Harpreet Singh for passage to the U.S. via the Netherlands, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

Provided with a forged visa, Singh entered the U.S. but was detained, jailed for four months, and deported.

Ajit Pal Singh (45) and Sanjeev Kumar Anand (49), both from Begowal, Kapurthala, were arrested following a probe led by Inspector Sushil Goyal. Authorities are now searching for Harpreet Singh and investigating links to similar cases.