Security alert at IGIA after five arrests in US visa racket

Sources said the five had been found to be part of a gang that operated an organised human trafficking racket.

According to sources,the agents sought huge sums of money from their clients and facilitated their travel to the US on the basis of fake visas obtained on the pretext of attending conferences. Two agents have been identified and are on the radar of security agencies.

The five were arrested after the US Embassy alerted police about the racket.

On May 9,sources said,Dharmesh and Shailesh Patel were arrested when they went to the US Embassy to get visas.

While initially they told investigators that they were on their way to attend a conference in New Jersey,they later confessed that their agents had lured them on the pretext of helping them settle in the US. They told investigators that the agents had demanded Rs 2 lakh from each of them.

On June 12,Sushil and Pritam Singh from Haryana were arrested from the Embassy. They told investigators that they had been lured by two agents.

A few days later,one Amanpreet,also from Haryana,was arrested for trying to get a visa in a similar manner.

Sources said investigators analysed the trend and realised that this was an organised racket. After investigation,the agents were identified as Hari Singh and Jitender Singh.