West Bengal agent arrested for arranging fake Greece visa

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has apprehended a fraudulent West Bengal-based travel agent for allegedly arranging a fake Greece visa for a passenger attempting to fly abroad, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, Sanjeev Kumar Rout (37), was apprehended on Sunday, said the officer.

Police said that the case came to light on February 16 when Sharanjit Singh (20) from Punjab arrived at IGI Airport to board a flight to Greece via Egypt. During immigration clearance, officials detected a forged Greece visa on his passport.

Upon questioning, Singh revealed that he had paid Rs 12.5 lakh to Rout through another agent named Goura for arranging his journey, said the officer.

"The plan included a trip to Nepal to create travel history before attempting to enter Greece," Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said.

A team tracked down Rout in Hooghly in West Bengal. During interrogation, the accused admitted to working as an agent since 2014, luring individuals with false promises of overseas job opportunities. He confessed to receiving Rs 1 lakh in his account from the passenger.

The passenger has also been detained, police added.