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CBI registers PE in immigration and visa racket
New Delhi, Nov 06: CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the alleged immigration and visa racket in which some officials at Indian High Commission in London were allegedly involved.
New Delhi, Nov 06: CBI has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the alleged immigration and visa racket in which some officials at Indian High Commission in London were allegedly involved.
The agency registered a PE after the Ministry of External Affairs referred the matter to the CBI, official sources said here.
The PE would study the details of "Operation Harvest" conducted by Scotland Yard police into the matter and then decide on further probe.
During its investigation, the Scotland Yard had found that some of the personnel posted at the Indian Mission in London had been indulging in forging original visas to facilitate entry of fake persons.
A team of Scotland Yard had visited the CBI headquarters here recently seeking its help in the probe as Britain's immigration department had registered a case in this connection, the sources said.
The sources that the probe could not be limited to London and some investigation would have to be done in the United States, Canada, Ethopia, Greece and certain CIS countries as well.
It is alleged that some of the diplomatic staff posted at various missions were stealing passports, issued to the embassies for emergency purposes, and issuing the same to people in alleged conspiracy with travel agents, the sources said.
According to the complaint, some of the officials allegedly provided people with travel documents upon their arrival in those countries.
The passports, which were allegedly stolen from the diplomatic quota, were handed over to the persons stamped with fake visas, the sources said.
The sources said that a team would also be sent to London for carrying out further probe in this case.
The sources said that the Ministry of External Affairs had carried out an internal probe itself but could not fix responsibility.
This is the second instance of allegations levelled against officials posted in Indian missions abroad. Earlier, two officials posted in the mission in Trinidad and Tobago were booked by CBI for stealing the passports meant for emergency purposes. Bureau Report
The PE would study the details of "Operation Harvest" conducted by Scotland Yard police into the matter and then decide on further probe.
During its investigation, the Scotland Yard had found that some of the personnel posted at the Indian Mission in London had been indulging in forging original visas to facilitate entry of fake persons.
A team of Scotland Yard had visited the CBI headquarters here recently seeking its help in the probe as Britain's immigration department had registered a case in this connection, the sources said.
The sources that the probe could not be limited to London and some investigation would have to be done in the United States, Canada, Ethopia, Greece and certain CIS countries as well.
It is alleged that some of the diplomatic staff posted at various missions were stealing passports, issued to the embassies for emergency purposes, and issuing the same to people in alleged conspiracy with travel agents, the sources said.
According to the complaint, some of the officials allegedly provided people with travel documents upon their arrival in those countries.
The passports, which were allegedly stolen from the diplomatic quota, were handed over to the persons stamped with fake visas, the sources said.
The sources said that a team would also be sent to London for carrying out further probe in this case.
The sources said that the Ministry of External Affairs had carried out an internal probe itself but could not fix responsibility.
This is the second instance of allegations levelled against officials posted in Indian missions abroad. Earlier, two officials posted in the mission in Trinidad and Tobago were booked by CBI for stealing the passports meant for emergency purposes. Bureau Report