New Delhi: The issuance of Look Out Circulars (LOCs) against agents, who fled abroad or remain untraceable after committing VISA or Passport fraud, has significantly increased this year, a senior police officer of IGI Airport, Delhi, said on Thursday.
Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police, at the IGI Airport in Delhi, said around 76 LOCs have been issued for agents, who have fled abroad or remain untraceable, marking a two-fold increase from the same period in 2023.
“In response to escalating incidents of VISA and passport fraud facilitating illegal immigration, the IGI Airport Police launched a rigorous crackdown on fraudulent agents operating across the county, leading to a significant increase in arrests,” Rangnani said.
According to data, over the past six months, the IGI Airport Police apprehended 108 fraudulent agents, a substantial increase compared to 51 in the same period in 2023. These arrests have been made nationwide, including Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Highlighting the strategy against these fraudsters, Rangnani said, “The police shifted their focus towards holding agents accountable rather than solely targeting passengers, who may unknowingly fall victim to illegal immigration schemes, often seeking better opportunities abroad. This strategic approach addresses the root causes of these scams and has led to significant success in detection and apprehension efforts.”
To solve the cases, a thorough review of pending cases where only passengers were previously arrested, was conducted and Investigating Officers were briefed and tasked to track down and prosecute these offenders. As a result, in 2024, numerous agents from old cases (around 51 agents) and new cases (around 57 agents) have been apprehended, she said.
Several Proclaimed Offenders (POs), mostly from cases over a decade old, have been apprehended this year, demonstrating the police's commitment to resolving long-standing cases, IGI Police said.
IGI Airport Police's investigations revealed various rackets and scams involving methods such as affixing fake departure/arrival stamps, using 'donkey routes' for illegal entry, producing fake visas, forging passports, work permits and seaman documents, creating fake identities for foreign nationals-especially for Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas orchestrating impersonation schemes, Rangnani informed.
As per data, around 19 agents, who were allegedly involved in fake visas, have been arrested. In all, 21 agents were nabbed for allegedly providing fake Indian Passports for Foreign Nationals, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Twelve agents were apprehended for tampering with passports. Eight agents, who were involved in creating fake travel histories and seven agents in on-departure cases were arrested.
“Public awareness is crucial to prevent individuals from falling victim to fraudulent agents, who exploit their aspirations for better opportunities abroad,” Rangnani pointed out.
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