Indian Citizen Apprehended in Delhi for Schengen Visa Fraud

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Mujeeb P.P, a 49-year-old man from Malappuram, Kerala, was arrested for deceiving people by posing as a travel agent and providing fake Schengen visas and passports.
• This arrest came two years after the Indira Gandhi International Airport police arrested two agents and a passenger who were caught travelling on fake Spain visas.
• The accused admitted to operating on a commission basis alongside other agents, earning a total of Rs 50,000 for each target.

A 49-year-old man, Mujeeb P.P, was arrested from Malappuram in Kerala for allegedly tricking people by pretending to arrange their travel abroad using fake Schengen visas and passports.

The announcement was made by police officers on Monday. The arrest came two years after the Indira Gandhi International Airport police arrested two agents and a passenger who were travelling on fake Spain visas.

In 2019, a case was registered in which it was alleged that the passenger, Vishal Khullar, hailing from Rajasthan, was given a departure immigration clearance to Madrid (Spain) based on a Schengen Visa. Later, during scrutiny of travel documents of the passenger at the boarding gate, the Schengen Visa sticker affixed on his passport was detected as counterfeit by the staff of the airline.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani

Soon after, It was confirmed that the visa was fake by the Security, Investigation & Fraud Prevention Cell (NR), Air India and the German ALO at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, according to a report from Mathrubhumi.

During the investigation, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Mujeeb, and he was recently arrested from his native place. He was produced before the court in Kerala, and he was brought to Delhi on transit remand.

DCP

Police officers confirmed that the accused disclosed that he was working on a commission basis together with other agents and was receiving a total of Rs 50,000 for each target.

According to DCP, Mujeeb P.P. further admitted to their crime and disclosed that he and his associates began cheating on people to earn easy money so as to fulfil their expenses for a luxurious lifestyle.

Further efforts are being made to scrutinise their bank accounts and to trace their possible involvement in other similar complaints/cases also.

DPC

Cases of fraudulent Schengen visa acquisition are not uncommon in Spain. Last month, authorities in the country arrested nine persons for their involvement in facilitating the fraudulent acquisition of Schengen visas for Nepalese nationals.

The arrests came during an operation conducted in Madrid and Las Palmas. According to Spanish authorities, persons who were apprehended belonged to a criminal network. They were allegedly involved in assisting more than 300 Nepalis in obtaining fake Schengen visas, thus enabling them to enter Madrid and, subsequently, the Schengen Zone in an irregular way.

Citizens of India are required to hold a visa in order to enter Europe or the EU’s Schengen Zone countries, regardless of their travel purpose.