Indian police make arrests in visa for South Africa scam
September 14 2009 by Mark Johnstone
Bharuch in visa for South Africa scam
Indian police busted a fake South African visa racket with the arrest of two men in Bharuch on Friday, September 11.
The two accused men from Mumbai and Ankleshwar were arrested after they were found with at least 15 passports were found in their possession. These passports were to have fake visas for South Africa attached, police said. The visas were to help Indians make the move to South Africa.
Jignesh Shah alias Bansilal Desai of Mumbai and Mohammad Firoz Tadki of Ankleshwar were working for a person based in South Africa and were charging people several lakhs for a South African visa. Both men were arrested by the Bharuch crime department on a complaint by Farukh Patel, a resident of Diva village in Ankleshwar, who accused the two of having cheated him.
Farukh had given 15 passports of his friends and relatives to Mohammad Firoz for South African visa. Firoz had taken over Rs 8 lakh, but failed to get the visa following which Farukh approached Bharuch district superintendent of police and lodged an FIR at Ankleshwar city police station.
Bharuch crime branch police inspector D R Agrawat said, "Both the accused have links with some criminals in South Africa as well as in Mumbai. They were allegedly involved in making fake visas and had cheated people of Bharuch. Both the accused were being interrogated and more details in the case are expected."
South Africa immigration officials refused to comment on the report.
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