Six held in visa fraud operation

NEW DELHI: The IGI Airport Police team has arrested six travel agents involved in a fake visa syndicate, including the mastermind running an illegal visa production factory in Surat.

The IGI Airport Police were informed after a passenger was apprehended with a fake Canadian Visa at the airport during an immigration check.

According to the police, the investigation began when a passenger, Kuldeep, was caught with a fake Canadian visa at IGI Airport on September 28.

Upon further interrogation, it was revealed that Kuldeep had paid 5 lakh rupees to an agent named Sandeep, with the promise of a job and Canadian visa.

Sandeep was later arrested, leading to the discovery of a larger network of agents operating across Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat.

The syndicate, which advertised “guaranteed Canadian visas” on social media, exploited aspiring migrants with false promises.

The police arrested key members, including Sarabjeet Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, and Nitin Sharma, who were responsible for advertising, forging visas, and recruiting customers.

The operation culminated in the arrest of Prateek Shah, the mastermind behind the counterfeit visa factory in Surat. Shah, an electrical engineer, had set up the factory in his home, equipped with advanced printing machinery, fake visa materials, and other forgery tools. The police seized high-quality forgery equipment, uncovering an extensive operation providing fake visas for various countries.

The police recovered 14 fake visas, 80 blank PR cards, and numerous stamps during the raid.