The Sahar police have arrested a passport agent from Mumbai and are searching for a man from Gujarat in connection with a human trafficking case registered on Friday. While the probe has been transferred to the crime branch, it's being suspected that the duo are a part of a larger criminal network, which has the support of insiders right from passport acquisition to immigration clearance.
As per the probe, the arrested agent, Roshan Dudvadkar, 50, booked tickets in his own name to gain access to the airport premises and assist travellers in clearing documentation, ensuring a smooth departure for those transported illegally. According to the FIR, Dudvadkar and wanted suspect Rajesh Panchal alias Rajubhai allegedly facilitated the illegal transportation of around 80 people; mainly from Gujarat to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey and Poland over the past three years. As per the probe, they charged from Rs30 lakh to Rs50 lakh per person. Dudvadkar, a resident of Andheri East, worked for Panchal in Mumbai. The latter allegedly created fake passports and visas to facilitate the illegal journeys.
The alleged crime came to the fore after the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) alerted the crime branch. “The accused allegedly charged Rs50 lakh per person to provide fake passports and visas for specific destinations,” an official said. The FRRO initially summoned passport agent Dudvadkar before handing him over to the crime branch. He was the one arranging travel documents for Europe and American nations.
Sub-inspector Sanjay Sable, 56, from crime branch registered the case based on a complaint by the registration office. The complaint stated that 80 individuals had fraudulently obtained travel documents. The FRRO provided details of these individuals, including images captured at the immigration counter, their travel history and the counter numbers where their immigration stampings were processed.
