Visa fraud: 44 women from TS, AP cheated by travel agent; detained at RGIA

Hyderabad: Immigration authorities detained 44 women at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) after they were trying to fly to Kuwait on fake visas and other travel documents on Tuesday.

Hailing from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, they were trying to fly to Kuwait for work. Police released them later after realizing that they were victims of visa fraud.

The women were allegedly lured by a Mumbai-based agent promising them jobs in Kuwait. After collecting money, the agent, with the help of local touts in Andhra Pradesh, created fake visas and other documents. The women were in the age group of 35 and 50 years.

Preliminary investigation revealed the agents booked two visas-- a visit visa to be shown to Immigration officials and the other, a job visa, to be shown to officials at Kuwait. They then booked a flight for the women from RGIA. However, at the immigration counter, officials. who verified the documents, found them to be fake, and immediately alerted the Central Industrial Security Force, who took them into custody.

The airport authorities handed over the women to the RGIA police, which conducted inquiries and let them off since they were victims.

Though the police are yet to identify the agency that issued fake documents to the women, they have registered a case against an unnamed travel agency under section 420, 468, and 471 of IPC.