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The Hindu
15-05-2025
- The Hindu
Two arrested for human trafficking
Two members of a human trafficking ring that targeted vulnerable individuals from Andhra Pradesh were arrested by the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police and Shamshabad Special Operations Team (SOT). Following a tip-off, Chilukuri Balaji, 43, and Sunkara Shiva Kumar, 30, were arrested from a hotel in Nampally. The police seized 14 tampered visas and passports, police clearance certificates (PCCs), 16 flight tickets, and other incriminating documents. The scam came to light on May 13 following a complaint by Gandikota Venkata Ramana, a 38-year-old resident of West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, who stated that the Kuwait visa, issued on a tourist basis, was tampered with to conceal the real travel purpose. The complainant was one of eight women lured with promises of lucrative jobs in Kuwait, only to realise at RGIA that the passport had been illegally altered, showing a 'cancelled' visa stamp to mislead immigration officers. Investigations revealed that Balaji and Shiva Kumar, both self-styled Gulf travel agents, were running a widespread network of sub-agents across Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai. Operating under Srinivasa Global Recruits, the duo forged travel documents, tampered with visas, and coordinated with medical diagnostic centres in Hyderabad to process pre-departure formalities. After collecting victim's passports, fraudsters also arranged accommodation near Nampally before transporting them to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for travel. Their modus operandi involved two levels - they stamped genuine work visas with a fake 'cancelled' imprint and paired them with tourist visas and round-trip tickets, to fool immigration at departure; second - they removed cancellation marks and presented original work documents, police clearance certificates (PCCs) and boarding passes at the point of entry in the Gulf countries. Victims were instructed to destroy all tourist-related documents mid-journey to avoid detection. Balaji collected ₹5,000 and ₹8,000 from the victims in the form of fee for visa, medical clearances and flight bookings. Police also said that sub-agents paid as much as ₹60,000 per person, out of which the accused retained ₹5,000 to ₹8,000 as commission. The scam exploited gaps in emigration protocols. While ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required) passport holders can travel with original work visas and PCCs, ECR (Emigration Check Required) holders require additional documents including a POE (Protector of Emigrants) clearance. The accused bypassed these regulations, sending people on tourist visas without job contracts or insurance, exposing them to exploitation abroad. Further investigation and efforts to trace the remaining accused are underway.
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Indian Express
2 Hyderabad men held for trafficking workers to Gulf by forging work visas
The Cyberabad police Thursday busted a gang allegedly involved in a scheme to tamper with passports and visas to traffic people to Gulf countries illegally, and arrested two men. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police, along with the Special Operations Team (SOT) of the Shamshabad Zone, arrested Chilukuri Balaji, 43, and Sunkara Shiva Kumar, 30, both operating as travel agents, from Nampally in the city. According to a police statement, the agents targeted vulnerable people from Andhra Pradesh and other regions, promising high-paying jobs in Gulf countries like Kuwait and Oman. The modus operandi involved passport and visa tampering, where the accused procured visas, sometimes through fraudulent channels, and tampered with passports. This included stamping work visas with 'cancelled' to make them appear as tourist visas, thus bypassing immigration checks. The police action followed a complaint filed on May 13, 2025, by Gandikota Venkata Ramana, who alleged that agents, including Balaji, had deceived her and others, attempting to send them to Kuwait on tourist visas, despite holding Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports. Police investigation found that the accused exploited ECR passport holders (those who have not completed SSC), who require a Protect of Emigrant (POE) certificates, work contracts, and insurance for overseas employment. Not only did the agents circumvent these requirements, but they also forged work visa documentation, the police said. The accused earned a profit of Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 per person after covering expenses, the police said. 'The accused, Balaji and Shiva Kumar, are exploiting the desire of many people to seek employment in the Gulf (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Doha, etc.). They, along with absconding accomplices Anji and Satyanarayana, operate a human trafficking scheme. Through sub-agents in Andhra Pradesh, they target poor and illiterate individuals, collect their passports, and obtain work visas. However, these agents do not follow the legal requirements for processing work visas, such as obtaining POE certificates, insurance, and job contracts,' said K Srinivas Rao, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Shamshabad division). According to him, the accused illegally created and tampered with visas and other documents. 'Victims are then sent from Indian airports using tourist visas. Once onboard the flight, the tourist visa documents are discarded, and victims are instructed to present the altered or fraudulent work visa documentation upon arrival at immigration counters in the Gulf countries. This entire system, orchestrated by Anji and Satyanarayana, constitutes human trafficking,' he explained. The police recovered 14 tampered passports, 14 Gulf countries visas, 16 copies of round-trip flight tickets from RGI Airport to Muscat, among other things, such as two stamps, one stamp pad, seven cell phones and one Laptop. The arrested are associates of absconding main agents, Satyanarayana and Anji alias Penegalapati Ramanjaneyulu, said the police. Police investigations revealed that Balaji operated under a false identity, 'Srinivasa Global Recruits,' and was involved in a previous criminal case in Punjab. Shiva Kumar assisted in recruiting victims, collecting payments, and facilitating the fraudulent documentation process. An FIR has been registered under sections 318(4), 336(3), 340(2), and 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and 12 (1)(a)(b) of the Passport Act. The police are continuing their investigation to apprehend the others in the racket.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
Three arrested for making fake marksheet
Indore: Three persons were arrested on Monday for allegedly making fake marksheets to prepare passport under ECNR category. "In the context of Indian passports, ECR stands for Emigration Check Required, while ECNR stands for Emigration Check Not Required. ECR passports are typically issued to individuals who haven't completed their 10th standard and may be more vulnerable to exploitation when traveling abroad for employment. ECNR passports are for those who have completed their 10th standard or higher, and are generally exempt from emigration clearance requirements," DCP Abhinay Vishwakarma said. The DCP said that the accused had MP Online Kiosk and under the guise of operating an open university, they provided study materials to the applicant and held 'exams' before issuing them 10th class marksheet. "One of the persons, whom the accused had issued the marksheet, had made a complaint after his application to prepare the passport under ECNR category got rejected," the senior police official said. A police team was formed by Khajrana police station in-charge Manoj Singh Sendhav, which gathered intelligence on persons involved in the illegal activities . During this process, the police caught a cyber cafe operator Javed Khan, who was involved in creating fake marksheets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo The police team searched the cyber cafe and found hundreds of fake marksheets. A case was registered against Khan of Srinagar Kakad, and he was taken into custody. During the interrogation, the names of other persons involved in the racket surfaced. Remaining two accused were identified as Mohammad Azharuddin and Mohammad Riyaz, residents of Hina Palace, and they were arrested. "The arrested accused are being interrogated to uncover the involvement of other individuals in this racket. Further legal action will be taken based on the information obtained during the ongoing investigation," Vishwakarma said.
Arab Times
21-04-2025
- Arab Times
Kuwait-based NRI, 4 others arrested in human trafficking scam
HYDERABAD, India, April 21: The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police have registered a criminal case against five individuals, including an Indian national residing in Kuwait, for their alleged involvement in human trafficking. The group is accused of luring people with promises of jobs in Middle Eastern countries, despite lacking valid travel documents. The incident came to light when a woman named Khadeerun Shaik, a resident of Kadapa, was intercepted during an immigration check. Officials discovered that her Indian passport had allegedly been tampered with. She was found to be holding an ECR (Emigration Check Required) passport, which mandates special clearance for overseas travel to certain countries. During questioning, immigration officials learned that five agents—reportedly from the Kadapa and Vijayawada districts—had assisted in creating a forged Kuwaiti visa for her. Based on a complaint filed by immigration authorities, a formal case has been registered against the five suspects.
