MUMBAI, NAGPADA: In a significant crackdown on illegal emigration rackets, the Mumbai Crime Branch, in a joint operation with the Protector of Emigrants (POE) office of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), raided nine establishments in the Nagpada area, arresting two individuals and seizing a large cache of documents related to overseas job fraud.
The operation targeted travel agents who were allegedly operating as unauthorized recruitment agencies, promising lucrative jobs abroad without possessing the mandatory government license required under the Emigration Act, 1983.
Key Findings from the Raid
- 238 Passports Seized: The joint team recovered 238 Indian passports belonging to hopeful job seekers, which were being held illegally by the agents.
- Incriminating Evidence: Police also confiscated numerous items of evidence, including:
- Counterfeit ‘Employment Offer Letters’
- Logbooks detailing fraudulent activities
- Fake visiting cards and rubber stamps used to make the operations appear legitimate.
- Arrests and Charges: Two owners of the establishments were arrested on the spot. Cases have been registered at Nagpada Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immigration Act. Seven other agents/owners have been named as wanted accused.
Duplication and Exploitation
The investigation revealed that the agents were defrauding citizens by illegally promising employment in various foreign countries and collecting substantial sums of money, even though they were completely unauthorized to send Indians abroad for work. Many victims only realized they were cheated after receiving bogus visas or being stranded without a job upon reaching the destination country.
Police officials have urged the public to exercise extreme caution and verify the credentials of any agent or agency offering overseas employment through the official MEA portal, emigrate.gov.in, before making any payments.