Ludhiana police on Tuesday busted a large-scale drug trafficking ring that involved creating fake academic degrees and work experience certificates to help applicants migrate to the US. Seven people have been accused of running this operation, charging hefty fees for fake documents and even helping inflate bank balances to make visa applications look more solid. Among the accused, three are from Ludhiana.
How did the case come to light?
The racket was uncovered following an investigation led by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed under the direction of Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. The investigation began after a complaint was filed by Eric C Molitors, a foreign criminal investigator with the regional security office of the US Embassy in New Delhi.
The accused in the case include Amandeep Singh of Chhatt village in Zirakpur, his wife Poonam Rani, Ankur Kohar of Ludhiana, Akshay Sharma of Bathinda, Kamaljot Kansal of Mohali, Rohit Bhalla of Ludhiana and Kirti Sood of Barnala. These individuals were associated with fraudulent visa consultancies such as Red Leaf Immigration and Overseas Partner Education Consultants, which submitted false information to mislead the US Embassy.
The complaint names five applicants – Simran Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, Lovely Kaur from Mansa, Harwinder Kaur from Jagraon, Ramneet Kaur from Nawanshahr and Rahul Kumar from Haryana. These individuals provided forged documents, including degrees, employment certificates and fake bank balances, all with the help of the accused.
Simran Thakur paid Rs 200,000 for a fake university degree, while Lovely Kaur handed over Rs 18,000 for fake bank balance documentation and a work certificate. These fraudulent documents were designed to bolster their US visa applications.
Modus operandi of the accused
The SIT, headed by Additional Commissioner of Police (ADCP, Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar, said the accused accused the applicants of providing fake certificates and helped them inflate bank balances to convince the US Embassy that they had the financial means to stay abroad. The accused, including Kirti Sood and Akshay Sharma, set up small offices to facilitate these operations.
Ankur Kohar, owner of Rudra Consultancy Service, played a key role in obtaining fake bank balances for the applicants. These documents made it appear that the applicants had sufficient funds to meet the embassy’s requirements, allowing them to bypass strict visa rules.
Following investigation, a first information report (FIR) under sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and section 24 of the Immigration Act was lodged at the 5 Division police station. Sub-Inspector Dharampal, who is leading the investigation, confirmed that a manhunt has been launched to arrest the accused.
Other scams targeting the US Embassy
This is not the first time the US embassy has faced fraud issues. Earlier this year, the embassy raised the alarm about a job scam targeting health and safety officials in India and Nepal. Scammers posed as agents for US-based companies and convinced victims that they needed visas to move abroad. A senior official in the crime division said the scammers used social media ads to lure job seekers.
Since October 2023, several people from India and Nepal have arrived at the embassy premises with fake documents. In response, the Delhi Police registered a case after the US mission raised concerns about the security threat posed by these fake visa holders.
Educational fraud: a special case
In another case of educational fraud, 19-year-old Indian student Aryan Anand was caught submitting falsified admission and financial aid documents to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He went so far as to fabricate the death of his father to secure more support.
The fraud was revealed after a Reddit post in which Anand, under the username ‘u/transportationOK4728’, detailed his deception. On June 12, Anand was arraigned and charged with forgery, with bail set at $25,000. After pleading guilty, he served a one-to-three-month sentence in Northampton County Prison and has since returned to India.
In recent years, India has seen a sharp rise in immigration scams, where dishonest agents take advantage of people who wish to study, work or migrate abroad. These scams have caused significant financial and emotional hardship to countless victims.
These fraudulent activities have not only caused significant financial losses but have also damaged India’s reputation as a reliable supplier of skilled labor. As a result, many foreign governments have implemented stricter visa regulations and increased scrutiny of Indian applicants.
According to Delhi Police data, the IGI Airport Police have arrested 108 fraudulent agents in the last six months, a sharp increase from the 51 arrests made during the same period last year.
First published: September 18, 2024 | 18:22 IS
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