Mumbai cops looking for mastermind who smuggles Indians abroad

The eight individuals arrested at the Mumbai International Airport

The Sahar police are currently searching for Abraham Qureshi, a United Kingdom (UK) resident, believed to be the mastermind behind a scheme involving forged documents to transport Indians to the UK. Charging Rs 25 lakh per person, Qureshi's illegal operation was uncovered when eight people were apprehended by the immigration department at Mumbai International Airport on Wednesday while attempting to travel to the UK using counterfeit documents.

During the arrests, the police confiscated various forged documents, including Continuous Discharge Certificates (CDC), fake e-migrant letters, fabricated ship joining letters, boarding passes, and passports. Investigations revealed that Qureshi orchestrated the creation of fake job joining letters for the merchant navy by tracking ships and cruises arriving at UK docks. Additionally, it was discovered that Qureshi had facilitated the settlement of numerous Indians in the UK and assisted them in obtaining UK citizenship after their arrival. The individuals caught at Mumbai International Airport were identified as Dilwar Singh, Subham Soam Naipal Singh, Mandeep Singh, Kaishdeep Singh, Sushil Pal, Jaswinder Paul, Kushalpreet Singh, and Kuljeet Singh.

Immigration officers Ganesh Madhav Gawli, Ranjit Kumar, and Shyam Sundar Singh stationed at the airport observed suspicious behaviour and communication difficulties among the eight individuals. Despite claiming to be joining the merchant navy in the UK, they were unable to communicate in English. Subsequently, Officers Gawli, Kumar, and Singh reported their concerns to the officer in charge Vikram Kumar and duty officer Rajan Nagpal. After verifying their documents with the shipping company, it was confirmed that the papers were counterfeit, leading to the involvement of the Sahar police and later, arrests.

Abraham Qureshi, the mastermind, operates by luring Indian citizens to settle in the UK through agents. He specifically targets individuals from Gujarat, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu. Once in the UK, Qureshi instructs them to destroy their original passports and secures employment for them in petrol pumps or stores, enabling them to earn Rs 2-3 lakh a month. He further aids in arranging forged documents for obtaining UK citizenship. According to police sources, Qureshi's operations have successfully sent many individuals to the UK, aiding them in obtaining UK citizenship through fraudulent means.

Eight
No of people arrested