The Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three agents implicated in a fraudulent scheme involving fake passports and immigration stamps, which allegedly duped victims ofRs70 lakh. The accused are Jagdish Patel from Ahmedabad, and Jiva Patel and Jitendra Prajapati from Mehsana.
The scam came to light when Lalji Darji from Sanganpur village lodged a complaint against the trio. Darji and his wife, Hasumati, were promised US visas by the agents, who requested Hasumati’s passport for the process. Despite Hasumati never having traveled abroad, the agents stamped her passport with counterfeit immigration stamps from Tanzania and the UAE.
An investigation by the CID revealed that the agents tampered with multiple passports, affixing fake visa stickers without the knowledge of the passport holders. They reportedly created bogus passports in Mumbai using these forged documents.
During a raid at Jagdish Patel’s office, the CID recovered several original passports, promissory notes, and other official documents. The agents allegedly charged between Rs 70 lakh and Rs1.45 crore for promises of visas to numerous individuals.