Four African nationals arrested in Delhi for forging visas, online fraud: Police

New Delhi, Sep 15 (PTI) Four African nationals have been arrested in Burari, Delhi, for allegedly forging visas for overstaying foreigners and defrauding Indians through online fraud using fake social-media profiles, police said on Monday.

The accused lured victims by creating fake social-media profiles of Europeans and fabricating stories of goods being stuck at customs. They convinced their victims to transfer money into compromised bank accounts, police added.

The stolen amounts were withdrawn through ATMs or laundered through multiple accounts to conceal the trail, according to police.

"The arrests were made during the follow-up investigation of a case registered on 10 September, in which two African nationals were arrested with 355 grams of cocaine in Chhattarpur, south Delhi. During verification, their visas were found to be forged," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Ankit Chauhan.

Upon interrogation, the suspects revealed that the fake visas had been arranged by an associate, identified as Nwachukwu Benjamin, operating from Burari. Police raided a house in Chandra Vihar, Burari, and arrested four individuals: Nwachukwu Benjamin (33), Emmanuel Ifeanyichukwu (34), Paul Olisameka (37), and Precious Osasere (38), all Nigerian nationals who were residing illegally after their visas had expired.

Police recovered a laptop, a colour printer, three pen drives, seven mobile phones, two bank passbooks, five ATM cards, six forged passports and visas, and Rs 17,000 in cash from their possession.

Chauhan said that a preliminary investigation revealed Benjamin had entered India illegally in 2017 and had been creating fake visas for African nationals who were overstaying their permitted period.

He allegedly scanned passports and forged visa pages, charging between Rs 2,000 and 3,000 for each fake document.

In addition to this, he was running an online fraud racket to deceive Indians, police said.

The racket facilitated drug traffickers and overstaying foreigners in continuing their illegal activities in India, they added. Further investigation is underway to identify both the suppliers of the forged templates and the beneficiaries of the racket.

The arrests are part of a larger crackdown on narcotics and related crimes in south Delhi.

In the past 15 days, police have registered three cases, arrested eight individuals, and recovered nearly 74 kg of ganja, 355 grams of cocaine, and a three-wheeler used for transportation, they said. PTI SSJ SSJ HIG HIG