Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested Protector of Immigrants (PoE) in Kochi, Adolfus Lawrence, in connection with illegal recruitment of nurses to Kuwait.
The CBI had arraigned Mr Lawrence as the first accused in the case in which the city-based Al Zarafa Travel and Manpower Consultants recruited nurses for Kuwait’s health ministry charging Rs 19.5 lakh each instead of an authorised fee of Rs 20,000.
Employees of the agency had told the investigating agency that Mr Lawrence had received bribe for allowing it.
The CBI arrested the officer after summoning him to its Kochi office. Uthup Varghese, owner of the agency, is holed up in a Gulf country and it is learnt that he is trying to get an anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court after the High Court dismissed his plea.
The CBI has already issued a look-out notice against him and communicated it to all airports in the country. The agency says he has defrauded the nurses to the tune of Rs 230 crore.
