New Delhi: Authorities at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) have arrested a man accused of orchestrating the illegal travel of three individuals from Punjab to Spain using counterfeit Schengen visas and fraudulent tickets, an official reported on Sunday.
The three individuals were apprehended at the Delhi airport after officials discovered that their travel documents and tickets were forged. They had been lured with promises of employment in Spain after paying a total of ₹17 lakh for the illicit journey.
The suspect, Kamaldeep Singh, 25, a resident of Amritsar, initially fled the scene following the trio’s arrest. However, he was later located and apprehended in Kurukshetra after a 300-kilometer pursuit by law enforcement, police stated.
Kamaldeep was reportedly collaborating with another agent, Sonu Walia, who has already been arrested by Punjab Police for his involvement in facilitating the trio’s travel using fake documentation.
“On May 29, three passengers from Amritsar arrived at IGI Airport to board a flight to Madrid. Airline officials identified their tickets as fraudulent and referred their documents to immigration authorities. A Swiss liaison officer confirmed that the Schengen visas in their passports were counterfeit,” the official explained.
The Schengen visa allows individuals from non-EU countries to enter Schengen Area nations, facilitating free movement across borders within Europe.
Following a formal complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed, prompting an investigation. The three individuals had been promised jobs in Spain by Kamaldeep, who charged them a total of ₹17 lakh for the illegal travel arrangements.
After going into hiding, Kamaldeep was successfully tracked down and arrested by the police. Efforts are currently underway to formally apprehend Walia, who is currently incarcerated in Gurdaspur jail, as authorities investigate the broader network involved in this illegal operation.
