Mohali police have arrested Naveen Kumar, a resident of Hisar, for defrauding immigration aspirants by promising them fake job placements and visas to Canada. The police recovered Rs 20 lakh paid by the complainant, along with two passports during the investigation.
According to Kharar DSP Karan Singh Sandhu, the accused targeted primarily residents of Punjab and Haryana. Naveen Kumar presented himself as an immigration consultant with strong international connections, offering guaranteed visas and job placements in Canada.
However, investigations revealed that Kumar did not possess any legitimate travel agency licenses or proper documentation. His modus operandi involved collecting large sums of money from unsuspecting victims and their passports, all while promising them easy immigration opportunities to Canada.
DSP Sandhu mentioned, “During the interrogation, Naveen Kumar admitted to targeting people, mostly from Punjab and Haryana. He assured them of guaranteed visas and job placements but failed to deliver on his promises.”
The police also found evidence of several other victims who had paid Naveen varying amounts for his fraudulent services. The recovered passports belonged to individuals from different districts, all of whom had been similarly scammed.
Authorities are now working to identify all the victims involved and ascertain the full scale of the fraud. The investigation is ongoing, with police examining Naveen’s bank accounts and tracking the money trail. Authorities also suspect the involvement of other individuals in the scheme and are expanding their investigation.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and fraud.