Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS) 

Mangaluru, Sep 29: The city police have started taking action against the illegal visa agencies, which provide visa for overseas employment, that are functioning in and around the city from Saturday, September 28. Accordingly, they raided seven illegal visa agencies and registered cases against them. 

Giving details on the action, Dr P S Harsha, city police commissioner, said, "Only the overseas employment visa agencies that have the approval of the foreign affairs department of the union government are considered as the official agencies. Rest all are termed as illegal. As we received instructions from the foreign affairs department to take action against such violators, we have started raiding the overseas employment agencies."

Dr P S Harsha 

During the raids conducted on several visa agencies that are functioning in and around the city under various police station limits on Saturday, police found seven unofficial agencies and duly registered cases against them. 

Recently 34 people, who were sent to Kuwait by Manikya Associates, a city-based overseas employment agency, had to face trouble in the gulf country as they did not get the employment that was specified in their visa. In addition, they were not even given the salaries and had to return to their native place with great difficulty and intervention of several organizations. The delegation of these 34 victims had met the city police commissioner on Saturday and submitted an appeal to help them to get back their amount of Rs 75,000 each from the Manikya Associates, which they had paid for the promised overseas employment in Kuwait. As an immediate action, the police have started raiding the overseas employment agencies in the city. 

The city police commissioner has told very clearly to the public to interact with only those overseas employment agencies, which are officially approved. He has asked the job aspirants to make sure that the employment agency is recognized by the foreign affairs department and then proceed further.