NEW DELHI: Delhi Police arrested a 42-year-old alleged fraud from Hyderabad who worked as a ticket booking agent and was allegedly involved in a syndicate that cheated people on the pretext of sending them abroad by offering approved passports of foreign countries for cheap. The accused, identified as Sayed Shoukat Ulla, is a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana.
DCP (IGI) Usha Rangnani said two passengers, Nilesh Shailesh Bhai Patel and a woman, both natives of Gujarat, arrived at Delhi Airport in September 2022, after being deported from Azerbaijan, and approached for arrival immigration clearance.
During scrutiny of documents, it was revealed that passengers departed for Dubai from Mumbai in July 2022 with Indian passports on a tourist visa. Later, they left Dubai for Baku, Azerbaijan via Muscat with their Indian passports. But on reaching Azerbaijan, they produced forged Malaysian passports which they had acquired fraudulently. “Immigration authorities in Baku deported both passengers to Muscat, Oman where they were issued emergency certificates to facilitate their return to India,” the DCP said.
Subsequently, both passengers were arrested and they disclosed that their journey to Europe via Azerbaijan was arranged by one agent namely Vijay Bhai Patel for Rs 40 lakh (Rs 20 lakh per person).
Upon further investigation, it was revealed Sayed Shoukat Ulla had allegedly booked the tickets for both passengers and also paid the booking amount through UPI and cash. “Sayed Shoukat Ulla was also involved in making forged Malaysian passports,” the DCP said, adding he was deliberately evading arrest.
Accordingly, the police formed a team which was dispatched to Hyderabad and the accused was caught while he was trying to flee by boarding a flight for Dubai from Hyderabad Airport. Shoukat, during questioning, revealed he was working on commission basis.