In a major breakthrough, Gujarat’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three agents involved in a scam that saw the issuance of fake passports and immigration stamps. The accused have been identified as Jagdish Patel from Ahmedabad, Jiva Patel, and Jitendra Prajapati from *Mehsana .ThRs70 lakh.
The scam came to light after a complaint was filed by from **Sanganpur village in Mehsana .DHasumati, had been promised US visas by the agents. To proceed with the visa application, the agents requested Hasumati’s passport. However, despite Hasumati never having traveled abroad, the agents fraudulently stamped her passport with fake immigration stamps from Tanzania and the UAE.
Upon investigation, the CID uncovered a larger network of fraud. The agents had been tampering with passports, attaching fake visa stickers, and creating bogus passports using these documents in Mumbai. During a raid on Jagdish Patel’s office, CID officials recovered original passports, promissory notes, and several other authentic documents, which had been illegally used in the scam.
The agents had promised to provide visas to many individuals, charging anywhere between Rs70 lakh and Rs1.45 crore for their services. The CID has registered a complaint and is continuing to investigate the matter, with the expectation of uncovering more individuals involved in the illegal operation.
The arrests highlight the ongoing issue of fraud in immigration services and underscore the importance of vigilance when dealing with visa and passport-related matters.