The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has secured its first-ever Silver Notice issued through INTERPOL against Shubham Shokeen, a former Visa and Local Law Officer at the Embassy of a foreign country in New Delhi, for his involvement in a major visa fraud case.
According to officials, between September 2019 and May 2022, the accused conspired with others to facilitate the issuance of Schengen visas to applicants in exchange for bribes ranging from ₹15,00,000 to ₹45,00,000 per person.
Investigations further revealed that Shokeen allegedly used the proceeds of the crime to acquire immovable properties worth ₹15.73 crore in Dubai.
Earlier, the CBI had issued a Blue Notice through INTERPOL to trace Shokeen’s whereabouts. Now, the Silver Notice marks a significant development in efforts to recover the proceeds of crime.
Silver Notices and Diffusions enable INTERPOL member countries to request information about assets linked to criminal activities such as fraud, corruption, drug trafficking, environmental crimes, and other serious offenses.
These notices help in locating, identifying, and obtaining information about laundered assets, including properties, vehicles, financial accounts, and businesses.
The Silver Notice initiative is currently in a pilot phase involving 51 countries and territories, and will continue at least until November 2025.
India has already submitted several requests for Silver Notices in investigations being conducted by the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Most recently, on May 26, the CBI also secured another Silver Notice against Amit Madanlal Lakhanpal at the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Lakhanpal is accused of creating an unrecognized digital cryptocurrency called “MTC” for personal financial gain.
He allegedly misled investors and collected approximately ₹113.10 crore without obtaining the necessary permissions or licenses from the government or the Reserve Bank of India.
He failed to return the invested funds as promised and is alleged to have embezzled the money.
Additionally, Lakhanpal reportedly impersonated a representative of the Ministry of Finance to bolster the credibility of his fraudulent scheme.
Advertisement
