Hyderabad: Forging documents to send illegal immigrants to the Gulf countries started about six months ago, and at least 10 persons have been sent abroad by travel agents in connivance with an employee of Indigo airlines, a probe by Cyberabad police has revealed.
The arrested airline employee was on duty at the arrival lounge on the day but his superiors spotted him roaming at the departure counter using a computer without authorisation.
A senior police official from Cyberabad said that it was an organised crime being run by travel agents from Kadapa, who come to the city, take shelter and settle things to ensure the successful deal of sending a person illegally abroad, in collusion with employees of private airlines.
A person who is willing to work in the Gulf countries has to obtain a clearance from the Protector of Emigrants, where the Centre will verify the genuineness of the employer and then allow its citizen to take up the job there, an officer said.
“This will be verified by the immigration department before departure, but also has to be checked by the airline through which the passenger is flying,” the officer explained.
“Taking advantage of this, Shaik Zubair, a travel agent from the city tried sending people abroad, but Mohammed Ibrahim, who was then at the departure counter, refused to allow several passengers to fly as they did not have POE clearance. About six months ago, he gave his number to a passenger asking him to inform the agent to call him to know the reasons for rejection. That is when Zubair trapped Ibrahim and lured him with money for allowing the passengers to fly,” said the official.
The official said that in this process, Ibrahim was once posted in the arrival area, but was seen moving in the departure area and using a computer in the check-in area. That is when he was caught.
“Several agents, mostly from Kadapa, run this racket. They take both employment and a 15-day visit visa for the passenger and take the help of the employers to allow the passenger with a tourist visa,” a senior official told this newspaper.
