Two held at airport with 'fake' passports

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 30.

Two young men from Punjab who had travelled to Hong Kong on Indian passports and were caught trying to board a flight to Canada from there on allegedly fake British passports were arrested by Immigration officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport here soon after they arrived by an Air-India flight.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (FRRO), Mr P.K. Bhardwaj, said the accused -- Mohinder Singh and Curproot Singh -- had been denied employment visas by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi and subsequently they tried to fly to Canada on a fake British passport which they had procured from a travel agent of Paharganj in central Delhi.

The officer said the fake passports in possession of the duo had actually been issued to two women of Indian origin by the British authorities. However, the women had lost them at IGI Airport when they arrived in India on December 16, 1999, from Britain.

The duo told the police that they were desirous of going to Canada for employment but did not get employment visa for that country. The desperation of going to Canada drove them to a travel agent of Paharganj who promised them unhindered entry and employment in Canada against a payment of Rs 3 lakhs each.

The money was to be paid in instalments. While the duo paid an advance of Rs 1 lakh each, they were to pay the balance of Rs 2 lakhs each upon their ``safe entry'' into Canada.

As per the plan, the officer said, the two went to Hong Kong on their genuine Indian passports on May 26, 2000, by an Air-India flight. From Hong Kong, they were to catch a flight for Toronto with the help of the fake British passports. However, the airport authorities at Hong Kong detected their gameplan and deported them back to India.

Once the two reached India, the Immigration officers here discovered that the British passports held by them were having ``photo-replacement'' on the cover page and the Indian visa on these passports was chemically washed and rewritten.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : More to toys than meets the eye