Arrests Related to Illegal Immigration Up 107%

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Posted on 01/02/2025 6:56:02 PM PST by nickcarraway

The year 2024 witnessed a 107% increase in arrests related to agents involved in facilitating illegal immigration through fake documents, compared to 2023.

According to Delhi Police's data, 203 people, including travel agents and illegal immigration facilitators, were arrested this year, up from 98 in 2023. Among those arrested, 142 agents were detained in new cases, while 61 were caught after a review of pending cases.

A large portion of the arrested agents were from Punjab (70), followed by Haryana (32), Delhi and Uttar Pradesh (25 each), and West Bengal (17). The remaining suspects were from other states and countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

Deputy commissioner of police (IGIA), Usha Rangnani, highlighted the increasing number of passengers falling victim to frauds. "Fraudsters promise easy access to foreign countries in exchange for an upfront fee," she said. She urged people to remain vigilant, advising them to verify the credentials of agents, especially when the offers seem too good to be true.

The data also revealed a significant rise in look-out circulars (LOCs) — 121 were issued this year. Additionally, 56 proclaimed offenders, some involved in cases dating back a decade, were arrested.

In cases involving fake visas, 71 agents were arrested for forging visas that resembled authentic ones, deceiving both passengers and immigration officials.

Another 16 agents were arrested for facilitating illegal travel through "donkey routes," exploiting porous borders and visa-on-arrival policies. These agents routed passengers through countries such as Dubai, Nicaragua, Cuba and Mexico, before they reached the US.

Thirty-one agents were involved in identity fraud. Three had reissued passports to people previously deported or rejected by immigration authorities, and five had created counterfeit documents allowing passengers to travel internationally as crew members. Another 23 agents were arrested for forging passports and tampering immigration stamps. Additional arrests involved 18 agents who had falsified travel histories with fake stamps. Four had helped passengers assume identities to match profiles of people whose passports they were using. Nine agents were arrested for facilitating "no departure" cases, where passengers had returned to their home countries without their departure being recorded in the immigration system.

Two major cases highlighted the severity of the crimes. In one case, a passenger paid Rs 50 lakh to an agent named Sultan, who attempted five times to send the victim to the US via Vietnam, Qatar and Senegal. In another case, two agents advertised they would grant "guaranteed Canadian visas" on social media, resulting in the arrest of seven people.

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1 posted on 01/02/2025 6:56:02 PM PST by nickcarraway

To: nickcarraway

2 posted on 01/02/2025 6:59:16 PM PST by reasonisfaith (What are the personal implications if the Resurrection of Christ is a true event in history?)

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