Delhi police have arrested three persons, including a couple after they were found to be involved in an international immigration scam that tricked victims into thinking they were being sent overseas, an official said on Wednesday.

The defendants, Parveen (32) and Priyanka Madhan (28), together with their counterpart Vishal alias Paaji in Poland and Jasvir, an assistant sub-inspector in the Punjab police, were involved in setting up fraudulent Polish visas. They were mostly active in Punjab and the neighboring state of Haryana, where they assisted individuals in illegally establishing down in Europe.

Tanu Sharma, the deputy commissioner of police (IGI Airport), said that on June 15, a male traveler named Sarabjeet Singh sought for immigration clearance for Paris while carrying an Indian passport number and a Polish residency visa.

“During the scrutiny of the travel documents, the Polish residence visa seemed to be doubtful and after thorough scrutiny, it was found that the visa was a duplicate without any specific UV features and intaglio mark which shows that the residence visa was fake,” the DCP said.

As a result of the passenger’s attempt to defraud Indian immigration, an FIR was filed under section 12 of the Passport Act, section 468 of the Indian Penal Code, section 468 of the Forgery for Cheating Act, section 471 of the Using a Forged Document as Genuine Act, and section 420 of the Cheating and Dishonestly Inducing Delivery of Property Act.

During questioning, the passenger admitted that he had spoken to Jasvir, an ASI with the Punjab police, who had assured him that he could secure a Polish residency permit for him in exchange for Rs. 12 lakh. Jasvir also provided contacts for two of his associates, the alleged immigration agents Priyanka and Parveen, who were based in Delhi.

Jasvir received a financial advance from Sarabjeet in the amount of Rs 60,000, while the accused couple’s immigration consultancy Flying Star Overseas received a cash deposit from Sarabjeet in the amount of Rs 30,000.

Parveen and Priyanka left their leased Dwarka house after learning of Sarabjeet’s detention and started moving about. But the police in Jaipur managed to capture them.

Police have so far found 18 Indian passports belonging to various individuals, 11 debit cards from various banks, six mobile phones, and seven checkbooks on the complaint of the accused.
(with inputs from IANS)