Hry-based agent held for arranging fake Swedish visa

New Delhi: The IGI Airport Police team has arrested a Haryana-based agent for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that involved arranging a fake Swedish visa for a passenger attempting to travel to Rome, Italy.

An anonymous source tipped the IGI Police Station about the agent.

The accused was identified as Ashif Ali (27) son of Karmudin resident of Safido Sadar, Jind, Haryana.

According to the Police, the incident occurred on the night of September 1-2, 2024, when an Indian passenger, Sandeep, from Kurukshetra, Haryana, presented his documents at the departure immigration counter for a flight to Rome.

Upon investigation, authorities found a fake Swedish visa affixed to his passport. The discovery led to the registration of an FIR and the arrest of the passenger. During the investigation, Sandeep revealed that he had been in contact with the agent Ashif Ali.

He, along with his associates, had promised to arrange the necessary documents and travel tickets for Sandeep’s journey to Europe in exchange for Rs 10 lakh.

Sandeep further disclosed that he had paid Rs 7 lakh in two installments through bank transfers, while the remainder was given in cash.

A police team led by Inspector Sushil Goyal, under the supervision of ACP IGI Airport, was promptly formed to investigate the case and track down the culprits. Through local intelligence and technical surveillance, Ashif Ali was located and arrested from his hideout in Gurugram, Haryana.

During interrogation, Ashif confessed to his role in the fraudulent operation. He revealed that he had been working as an agent for several years, targeting individuals seeking to travel abroad for better job opportunities.

In this case, Ashif had arranged for a fake Swedish visa to facilitate Sandeep’s journey to Rome. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities probing Ashif’s connections to other agents and potential involvement in similar cases.

DCP Usha Rangnani of IGI Airport urged passengers to be cautious when obtaining travel documents. “We advise all travelers to verify their documents through authorised agencies and refrain from dealing with fraudulent agents who promise cheaper travel options. This incident serves as a reminder to ensure the authenticity of all travel-related documents to avoid legal complications,” she stated.