In a significant crackdown, Mumbai police have apprehended four individuals linked to a major international job racket that defrauded nearly 200 aspirants of approximately Rs 67 lakh. The scam revolved around the promise of lucrative overseas employment as drivers and handymen in countries like Russia, South Korea, and Turkey using counterfeit visas.
The Elaborate Con and Nationwide Victims
The Samta Nagar police spearheaded the investigation, revealing that the accused operated from a discreet office in Kandivli East. Their modus operandi was to lure victims through social media advertisements on platforms like Facebook and via word-of-mouth referrals. The victims, hailing from various states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, were desperate for employment opportunities.
The fraudsters collected passports from the job seekers under the pretext of processing visas. They demanded exorbitant sums, with some victims paying as much as Rs 2.5 lakh each. To arrange these payments, many were forced to take extreme steps such as pawning family jewellery or even selling their ancestral farmland.
Heart-Wrenching Tales of Betrayal
The personal stories of the victims highlight the depth of the deception. Sachin Kumar Rawat, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was promised a job in Russia. After pawning his wife and children's jewellery, he paid Rs 85,000 in cash and arrived in Mumbai on December 1. The accused took his passport, provided a flight ticket for December 3, and then vanished. The ticket was cancelled and their office was shut down.
Another aspirant, Sanjeet Kumar from Bihar, paid Rs 1.5 lakh through an agent in October. When the fraud came to light, a large group of duped individuals descended upon Mumbai with nowhere to stay. Some were compelled to seek shelter on the premises of the Samta Nagar police station itself, highlighting their dire situation.
Police Action and Recovery
The police have successfully seized 190 passports from the accused. The prime accused, identified as Devraj Yadav, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh, where he had fled after the scam was exposed. The other three arrested are Anam Ansari, her brother Rehaan alias Riyal Ansari, and their mother Parveen Ansari, all residents of Nalasopara. Authorities are currently searching for four additional suspects connected to the racket.
The investigation gained momentum with the intervention of BJP MP Piyush Goyal's office. The victims stated that this assistance helped them retrieve their passports from police custody and expedite the probe.
Official Warning and Preventive Advice
In a media release concerning the incident, Piyush Goyal issued a stern advisory. He urged citizens, especially young job seekers, to exercise extreme caution regarding fraudulent job offers promising overseas employment. He emphasized the importance of verifying recruitment agencies through authorized government portals before making any payments or submitting personal documents like passports.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the perils lurking in unverified job advertisements on social media and through dubious agents. As the police continue their hunt for the remaining suspects, the arrested four face serious legal consequences for their alleged crimes.
