Pune: Hinjawadi Police Busts Visa Forgery Racket, 125 Passports Recovered From 4 Arrested Accused
Hinjawadi, 10th February 2024: The Hinjawadi Police under Pimpri Chinchwad police have successfully dismantled a criminal syndicate involved in forging visas for travel to Brunei Country (Asia).
Acting on a tip-off, the police apprehended three individuals responsible for manufacturing counterfeit visas, along with their accomplice, a stamp maker.
The arrested individuals, identified as Vijay Pratap Singh, Kisan Dev Pandey, Hemant Sitaram Patil, and Kiran Arjun Raut, were found to have defrauded a significant number of individuals, extracting money from approximately 125 people under the guise of facilitating visa issuance.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Bapu Bangar provided insights into the operation, revealing that the accused had previously worked in the import-export business and conspired to devise a fraudulent scheme targeting individuals seeking employment abroad. Operating under the guise of a fictitious company named Blue Ocean Marine Company, the gang solicited real passports from unsuspecting victims, promising employment opportunities in Brunei. Once in possession of the passports, the accused proceeded to affix fake Brunei country stamps, thus creating counterfeit visas.
Their scheme involved luring individuals with promises of employment as welders, drivers, and plumbers in Brunei. However, upon attempting to travel to Brunei, victims discovered that their visas were fraudulent. Prompted by complaints from individuals like Manish Swamy, the Hinjawadi Police conducted a raid on the accused’s office and seized incriminating evidence, including fake work orders, passports, electronic devices, and counterfeit stamps.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Kiran Raut, the shopkeeper from whom the accused had procured fake stamps. Additionally, 58 passports were recovered from a laundry establishment in Mamurdi, linked to one of the accused, bringing the total number of confiscated passports to 125.
DCP Bangar commended the Hinjawadi Police’s Detection Branch for their exemplary work in unravelling the criminal network.
