Police issue advisory on travel agents
The commissionerate police on Wednesday issued an advisory to people desirous of going abroad that they should exercise necessary caution to detect fraudulent and unauthorised travel agents.
The commissionerate police on Wednesday issued an advisory to people desirous of going abroad that they should exercise necessary caution to detect fraudulent and unauthorised travel agents.
Police commissioner Ishwar Singh said under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Rules, 2013, framed under the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012, the process to register travel agents in the state has been undertaken by the state government.
He said services of only those travel agents, who have been registered to carry out such a business involving arranging and sending of people to different foreign countries for various purposes like pleasure trips, study, business, work, permanent settlement, etc., should be utilised by public.
Singh advised that before entering into any deal with a person in the capacity of a travel agent, public must check that as to whether the person presenting himself as a travel agent has been registered with the state government to carry on such a business and is in possession of the registration that is necessary under the provisions of the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012.
In order to rule out the possibility of a person acting as an agent duping them by not even applying for grant of visa on their behalf with the embassy/high commission of the country concerned, those interested in going abroad should approach the embassy/high commission concerned to check as to whether the agent has submitted the documents with them.
He also asked that people must obtain proper receipt for any amount paid to the travel agent, and they should preferably, pay the money using bank instruments viz cheques, pay orders, etc.