Chandigarh: The NRI affairs wing of Punjab police on Saturday claimed to have arrested a travel agent identified as Anil Batra, one of the four accused involved in the illegal immigration scam case.
The development came close on the heels of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted recently by Punjab police registering 10 first information reports (FIRs) against travel agents, who allegedly deceived victims with false promises of facilitating illegal entry into the United States, resulting in their deportation.
Stating that Anil Batra, a resident of Shanti Nagar, Teka Market, Thanesar, Kurukshetra, Haryana, who was arrested from his in-laws’ residence in Partap Nagar, Patiala, under sections 406, 420, 370, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 24 of the Emigration Act, police said that the accused facilitated the illegal immigration process by arranging a visa of country Suriname and ticket for the complainant.
Once in Suriname, the victim travelled overland to other countries in South America, including Brazil or Colombia, where he crossed into Central America. In Central America he travelled through countries, including Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, to finally reach the United States of America (USA) illegally, with the help of traffickers and smugglers. Anil Batra’s bank account has also been frozen with a balance of Rs 6.35 lakhs, police said and advised people to only approach licensed agents for immigration services and verify their credentials thoroughly to avoid falling prey to scams.
