KOCHI: The income tax officials have conducted a raid in the officer of yet another human resources recruitment agency in Kochi and other parts of the State on Tuesday.
Raids were held at the office of Mathew International at Palarivattom, Maradu, Changanasserry and Bengaluru on suspicion of malpractices in the recruitment of nurses for Ministry of Health Kuwait. The raids were conducted following a tip-off by Central Bureau of Investigation.
Income Tax officials said a case would be registered against the company after completion of the raids.
IT officials said that Rs 1.5 cr was recovered from the Maradu office of the company, while raids still continued at the offices in Palarivattom and Changanssserry.
Officials said that the agency had an agreement with Ministry of Health Kuwait for recruitment of 400 nurses. Interview of the nurses were held at the Mathew International offices in Kochi and Mumbai on February.
The company had recruited nurses promising salary Rs 1.5 lakhs per month and charged Rs 20 lakh each from the job aspirants instead of Rs 19,500 permitted by the Kuwait Ministry.
Raids were conducted against Al Zarafa Travels and Manpower Consultant by IT officials last month for charging a similar amount of money from persons recruited as nurses to ministry of health in Kuwait.
The CBI came to know about flourishing business of recruitment by collecting such huge amounts after the raids in Al Zafara. CBI officials said that they would examine other activities of the Mathew International and their links.
