Major crackdown on illegal immigration firms

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 25

In a major crackdown by the Ludhiana Commissionerate, special teams formed by Police Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill conducted raids at several immigration firms in the city on Friday.

Four FIRs were registered by the police against the owner of immigration firms and their employees.

Special teams under the supervision of Additional DCP Surendra Lamba conducted simultaneous raids at immigration firms. Officials of the district administration, including the SDM, also accompanied the cops during the raids.

Offices of some of the immigration firms were found closed and the police deployed cops to prevent the firm owners from eliminating office records.

ADCP Lamba said one Ravinder was arrested from one of the firms, while raids were on at the suspected whereabouts of the other accused, who are at large.

CP Gill said these immigration firms did not have any valid licence to run the affairs of immigration and work permit and they were duping residents of several lakhs. He said now, further probe would be carried out to inquire about the volume of fraud and numbers of persons cheated by them.

ADCP Lamba said these firms were only having consultancy licence, but were illegally accepting the fee of work permit and immigration from foreign aspirants, adding that some firms were not even applying the visa of the applicants and they were accepting the fee.

“We have seized the record of several firms and further probe will be conducted to unveil the entire nexus of immigration firms. We have conducted raids at nine immigration firms located in various places of the city and some offices have also been found shut and they are under scanner,” Lamba said.

Under scanner

• Blessing Consultancy, MD Complex, Samrala Chowk. As per the police, a case was registered under Section 420, 120 B of the IPC and Immigration Act against owner Nitish Ghai, employee Sonu Sood, Preeti and one Chaudhary Medical. As per the police, 11 foreign aspirants were found present in the office.
• A to Z Tour and Travels Urban Garden Chandigarh road. A case was registered against Ashu Thaper under Sections 420, 120 B of the IPC and 10,24 of the Immigration Act.
• GGI Group All Types of Visa Consultancy, cycle market Ludhiana. Fraud case registered against one Tajinder Singh. Two persons, who were waiting for their visa, were also found there. 
• 99 Visa and Bridge Solution Consultancy, Ghumar Mandi. One Ravinder Kumar who was present there told the police that he was the owner of the firm, while 25 other persons of which some were cheated by the firm on the pretext of arranging visa were also found there. The police recorded their statement and arrested the owner and nominated Nitish Ghai and Jasmine Kaur in fraud case. They are yet to be arrested
• CS Consultancy, Ghumar Mandi. The police are still verifying whether the firm is legal or illegal
• European Consultancy, Ghumar Mandi. The police found the office lying shut. Its role is under scanner
• Canplus ad Better Tour and Travel, Mall Road. Its owner Mathur Dawar has started the RO system business and status of the immigration firm was being verified by the police
• SM Travel, Dholewal Chowk. The police are verifying its record
• Red Zone Consultancy, Vishawkarma Chowk. It was found closed when the police reached there. Its role is under scanner.