Four more arrested for sending people to South Korea with forged papers

Indian Navy officer arrested for involvement in visa fraud syndicate sending people to South Korea on forged documents; mastermind and accomplices also arrested.

MUMBAI: Two days after Vipin Kumar Dagar, a 28-year-old Navy officer of lieutenant commander rank was arrested for allegedly being part of a syndicate that sent 10 persons to South Korea on forged documents, the crime branch officials arrested four more persons, including the mastermind of the racket.

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Officials said Dagar’s colleague of sub-lieutenant rank in the Indian Navy, Brahmajyoti Sharma, 29, who was apprehended in Lonavala, operated the syndicate and the other three civilians, identified as Simaran Teji, 28, held in Pune, Ravi Kumar and Deepak Dogra, arrested in Jammu, were actively part of the crime.

On Friday, the crime intelligence unit (CIU) busted the racket and arrested Dagar from his office at Western Naval Command headquarters in Mumbai. The investigation unearthed the synchronised way in which the crime was being committed.

Dagar is put in police custody till July 5, while Sharma and Teji were produced in the holiday court on Sunday and remanded in police custody till July 5. Sharma was posted on INS Shivaji. During interrogation, it was learnt that Sharma used to forge documents of the candidates, make required rubber stamps, and collect money. “Dagar was working on the instruction of Sharma who is the mastermind of the crime,” said deputy commissioner of police Datta Nalawade of the crime branch.

Both Kumar and Dogra were produced in the court and their transit remand was acquired. Kumar is a beneficiary who wanted to leave for South Korea on a visa acquired by submitting forged documents. Dogra appears to have been monitoring the overall operation and identifying potential targets who wanted to go abroad on work visas. They will be produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Esplanade Court, as soon as they reach Mumbai.

Teji, who hails from Madhya Pradesh was arrested in Pune. She runs a German coaching class and is a close aide of Sharma and helped him by opening various bank accounts where they collect money from the candidates. Teji has also opened her mother’s bank account in which they accepted money from the aspirants. All the bank accounts connected to Dagar, Sharma and Teji are now seized, said Nalawade.

Meanwhile, a defence spokesperson on Saturday said the Indian Navy is fully cooperating with the law enforcement agencies and remains committed to holding its personnel to maintaining the highest standards of conduct always.

The police team is out to investigate and search for more suspects involved in the case. One team in Jammu detained Deepak Dogra while looking for more persons, added the officer. The incident came to light based on a specific tip-off about the racket and they verified the information and found out that Dagar had allegedly helped the candidate forge papers which were submitted while applying for a tourist visa.

Once the evidence was collected against Dagar, an FIR was registered at the MRA Marg police station under sections cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code along with sections of the Passport Act against him and his associates.

The gang members look for candidates who want to settle down in South Korea. They initially take a few documents and later submit forged papers to the consulate general of South Korea, added the official. Dagar completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical from Kerala, he joined the Indian Navy six years ago. He was posted in Mumbai for the last one year. His father was also in the Air Force and retired, added officer.

Modus operandi

Officials said once the candidates get their visas and reach South Korea, they discard their passports and seek asylum there alleging persecution and human rights violations in India.

During interrogation, it was learnt that the gang sent 10 people to Korea, and each person was charged ₹10 lakh. Dagar even created a ruckus at South Korea’s consulate general in Mumbai last month after they refused a visa to one of their candidates.

The candidate was a resident of Jammu and Kashmir and had allegedly submitted forged documents. Dagar fought with an embassy official over the refusal of a visa to his candidate who he claimed was a doctor in a dental hospital in Jammu and his brother.

The defence spokesperson, who promised of full cooperation by the Navy, said a complaint on misconduct against Dagar was received by the Navy from the consulate general of Republic of Korea (RoK) in Mumbai.

Upon investigation by the Indian Navy, it was found that the case had possible links to the fraudulent visa racket gang. Accordingly, the Indian Navy informed the civil police and then a detailed investigation.