Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Apr 3: In a major breakthrough, the Mumbai Crime Branch has busted a sophisticated human trafficking racket allegedly responsible for sending at least 80 individuals illegally to Canada and the United States. Six persons, including the brother of a former BMC corporator, have been arrested in connection with the case.
The prime accused, identified as Ajit Puri, along with Roshan Dudhwadkar, Sanjay Chavan, Sudhir Sawant, RP Singh, and Raju Chach alias Imtiyaz, were arrested in the first week of March. All six are currently in judicial custody, while police continue their search for four other suspects.
According to officials, the racket primarily targeted individuals whose visa applications had been repeatedly rejected. Agents, particularly from Gujarat, would approach such desperate aspirants, promising them entry to the US or Canada through illegal methods for a hefty fee ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 75 lac.
The elaborate operation involved the use of “mundi-cut” passports, where the original photo was replaced with the applicant’s, foldable rubber stamps, chewing gum, and Rs 10 coins to destroy evidence. The accused also provided clients with fake documents, SIM cards, phones, Bluetooth devices, and training to bypass security checks.
The gang would acquire passports from individuals who already held valid visas for the desired country. These passports were sold for around Rs 5 lac each. The accused, particularly DTP operator Sudhir Sawant, would then alter the photographs to match the individual attempting illegal entry.
Sanjay Chavan, known for his expertise in stitching passports, ensured that the alterations were difficult to detect. On the day of travel, the client would be given two folders — one containing the “mundi-cut” passport with a valid visa and the other with their original passport and a forged visa.
Roshan Dudhwadkar, brother of a former corporator, played a pivotal role by coordinating with clients through Bluetooth devices at the airport. He would often book tickets for a later flight and guide them through each step of the process.
The accused cleverly switched between passports before and after clearing immigration, making it difficult for authorities to detect irregularities. The “mundi-cut” passport was used during check-in, while the original passport with a fake visa was shown to immigration officials who lacked access to the forged visa details.
After clearing immigration, the client would be instructed to enter a washroom where they would use a foldable rubber stamp to place fake immigration stamps on the passport and boarding pass. The stamp would then be discarded by sticking it to a Rs 10 coin using chewing gum and flushing it down the toilet.
The racket was exposed after police noticed a pattern of Dudhwadkar traveling to Thailand every month along with individuals heading to the US or Canada. Based on this observation, the Mumbai police special branch launched an investigation, resulting in the arrest of the accused.
Authorities are now working on closing security loopholes at the airport to prevent similar incidents in the future.