DNA

Mumbai, Dec 13 (mb): Crime Branch’s investigation of illegal immigration and human trafficking racket led to the arrest of Asif Farroque Kadawala, 30, on Tuesday.

Asif, son of the owner of Tavaa, popular restaurant in Bandra, had allegedly applied for an American visa, along with a woman and her child, stating that the latter was his wife.

“Asif applied for visa on his own passport, but was acting as a carrier for the woman and her kid, whose passports were made using forged documents showing her to be Asif’s wife,” said a senior police officer belonging to the probe team.

Kadawala had been to various countries like the UK, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand in the past. So, securing an US visa for his “family” would not have been difficult for him, added the officer.

Kadawala has been booked for forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy. The metropolitan magistrate’s court on Wednesday  and was on Wednesday remanded him in police custody till December 14.

Aliya Rizvi, air-hostess with a private airline, was arrested last month, along with the alleged kingpin of the racket, Yusuf Baig, who earlier sent eight people to the US illegally.

Baig, a close relative of Kadawala, owned a boutique in Bandra. He allegedly befriended Aliya, who used to make purchases at his shop, and offered her a Rs1.8 lac commission for her services, said cops.