The Crime Branch has arrested 33-year-old Sanjay Lalchand Vishwakarma from Tulinj, Nalasopara, for masterminding a multi-state recruitment scam that duped job aspirants of nearly Rs 20 lakh with false promises of overseas employment.
Vishwakarma operated a YouTube channel called “Visa Expert Manpower,” where he portrayed himself as a recruitment specialist using various aliases. His channel, which boasts 156 videos and 6,020 subscribers, featured job opportunities in countries like Mauritius, Russia, Qatar, Canada, Armenia, Dubai, Malaysia, and Kuwait. The positions promoted were mainly for freshers in roles such as warehouse helpers, packing helpers, and supermarket helpers.
Police revealed that Vishwakarma, along with his associate Abdullah Hussain Alam Sheikh, collected large sums of money from victims under the guise of arranging work visas. Victims were instructed to send passports and payments without any personal meetings.
The scam came to light in January when a 46-year-old hotel worker from Bidar, Karnataka, reported to Charkop police. The victim, who had followed Vishwakarma’s channel since 2020, and his son-in-law had paid Rs 4.09 lakh in installments to secure driver jobs abroad, which never materialized.
Investigations are ongoing as authorities continue to trace other victims across multiple states.
