Schengen Visa fraud: 7 flyers with fake visas deported from Dubai, Mumbai police tracking travel agent

Seven individuals from Gujarat, India, were detained at Mumbai International Airport after being deported from Dubai due to possessing fake visas. The detainees, including Kaushikkumar Patel and Arthkumar Patel, were planning to visit 29 locations in Luxembourg, allegedly enabled by fraudulent documents provided by a local agent.

The travel plans for these individuals were orchestrated by an agent named Kisan from Gujarat. "Their travel was planned by local agent, Kisan, from Gujarat. They were provided with tourist visas and fake Schengen visas. During interrogation, they revealed the agent provided them with details to travel to European nations and settle. The team is now tracking the agent who created the fake visas," a police officer from Sahar police station was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Immigration officer Vishnu Sawant, who was inspecting arrivals at Mumbai Airport, said, "During inspection, I discovered that seven individuals were deported from Dubai with visas flagged by Dubai immigration." This alert from Dubai authorities led to their handover to local police for further questioning.

Upon detailed examination, it was found that the visas were Luxembourg Employment Schengen Visas with missing security features, marking them as counterfeit. This prompted the involvement of the Sahar police to take custodial actions.

The individuals were promised by agents that these visas would allow them to settle and find employment in any of the 29 Schengen countries without additional permissions. "Further interrogation indicated that agents provided them with the visas and assured them that they could settle in any of the 29 Schengen countries without needing permission for stay and could easily find employment," explained the immigration officer.

The case has raised alarms over the operations of fraudulent networks exploiting the aspirations of many to seek better opportunities abroad. Authorities are focusing on dismantling these networks by tracing back the source of these counterfeit documents.

Sahar police have confirmed that they are currently tracking the local agent responsible for the facilitation and issuance of these fake documents. However, detailed outcomes of the investigation are awaited.

The case highlights the need for stricter checks on visa issuance and verification processes to prevent such fraudulent activities, ensuring that individuals do not fall prey to deceptive schemes.