Hyderabad: Seven people were arrested by the Cyberabad police for providing fake visa stamping in an attempt to traffic women from India to Kuwait. The police found that the fake visa stamps were received from Sri Lanka.
The police investigation revealed that the gang was earning commissions varying between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 for trafficking each woman to Kuwait to work as a labourer.
Following complaints from three women, who alleged that they were cheated by a travel agent issuing fake visas, the Special Operations Team (SOT) of the Shamshabad zone apprehended R. Kubender Rao, 32, Shaik Basheer Ahmed, 60, K. Mohan Rao, 41, I. Augustin, 40, S. Ruthamma, 44, Y. Sunitha, 36 and K. Venkata Rama Krishna, 35. Meanwhile, Balu Prasad of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, is still at large.
Cyberabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said that Kubender, a native of Tanuku in West Godavari, worked as a welder in Singapore and Africa for seven years and returned to India in 2014. He started an air ticketing business in 2016 and was taking help from Basheer who was procuring fake visa stickers, Kuwaiti revenue stamps, and notary stickers from Sri Lanka.
Balu Prasad, a travel agent from Kumbakonam, used to supply rubber stamps. Local agents Augustin, Mohan Rao, Rama Krishna, Sunitha, and Ruthamma used to procure passports of women who wanted to work abroad.
“The women were given a visit visa to Dubai. From there, they go to Kuwait without clearance from the Protector of Emigrants. At Kuwait, four people were in place to provide employment to the women and give a commission of `10,000 to `20,000 to Kubender,” Mr Sajjanar said.
The SOT officials seized `2 lakh cash, 13 visa papers, 25 stamps, and stamp pads, printer and 16 passports from the accused, and they were handed over to the RGI Airport police.
