IGI Airport Police arrest UP man for role in fake Schengen visa racket

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough, the IGI Airport Police have arrested a 29-year-old travel agent from Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur for his alleged involvement in a fake visa racket targeting Europe-bound passengers, officials said.

The accused, identified as Abhinesh Saxena, was apprehended following the arrest of two passengers -- Taranveer Singh and Gagandeep Singh -- at Indira Gandhi International Airport on April 21.

The duo was attempting to board a flight to Rome while en route to Sweden using forged Schengen visas.

During interrogation, the two passengers disclosed that their travel documents, including the counterfeit visas, had been arranged by a Delhi-based agent.

Acting on the leads provided, police traced the operation back to Saxena, who had handed over the passports and fake documents at a hotel in Mahipalpur, a locality in South West Delhi known for budget accommodations often used by travellers and agents alike.

According to police, Saxena confessed to being part of a wider network that specialises in forging travel documents for hefty sums.

He admitted to working closely with another agent, identified only as Lalli, in arranging the fake visas and other supporting documents.

The passengers reportedly paid a total of Rs 31 lakh for the promised journey to Sweden.

Police officials said that the arrest has opened a window into a larger, organised racket that exploits visa loopholes and desperate travellers.

The police are also scanning previous travel records to identify if other passengers may have used similar forged documents issued by the same network.

Recently, Delhi Police arrested an agent from Punjab for arranging a fake UK visa for a person in 2022.

In another case, the IGI Airport Police have arrested an agent for arranging a fake Schengen visa for an Indian traveller attempting to fly to the Netherlands.

--IANS

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