Ticketing agent held for sending people to US on forged documents

New Delhi: A 42-year-old ticketing agent was arrested for allegedly forging documents and sending people to the USA illegally, police said on Thursday.

The accused was identified as Vishal Bamrate, a resident of Ahmedabad. They said four passengers were also arrested in the case.

As per a case registered on July 7, four people from Gujarat Harshad Kumar Mahendrabhai Patel, Jatin Kanubhai Nayee, Dixitkumar Mukeshbhai Patel and Hitesh Kumar Rohit Kumar Trivedi were deported by Turkey, a senior police officer said.

It was found that the reason for their deportation was fake documents, the police said.

The passengers revealed they wanted to go to the USA for better future prospects and had come in contact with Bamrate, who arranged fake continuous discharge certificates (CDCs) for them, the officer said.

With these fake certificates, the passengers travelled from Ahmedabad to Dubai and then to Iran, the officer said. From Iran, they travelled to Turkey, where they were apprehended and deported, the police said.

The police found the accused agent was using international numbers to access WhatsApp and to contact his targets and procured their details. His location was traced to Ahmedabad and he was arrested on August 11, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) Tanu Sharma said.

The accused disclosed that his business was badly hit by Covid and to make up for the losses, he joined hands with Dubai-based agent Rupesh Patel to send people illegally to the US, the police said.

Bamrate was constantly in touch with Rupesh and later, he started inducing passengers and sending them to Dubai, from where Rupesh arranged for their onward journey through his associates based on forged documents, Sharma said.