The deportation of two people who were trying to sneak into Canada on forged passports has helped the Delhi Police bust a major human trafficking racket run out of various airports across the country.
A married couple who allegedly sent people abroad on passports issued to their children, among others, has been identified as the brains behind the racket. Police said a number of routes passing through international destinations such as Incheon (South Korea), Muscat (Oman), London (UK) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) were utilised to ensure that the operation wasn’t busted. The racketeers would charge Rs 30 lakh per passenger, and accompany them on the journey.
The matter came to light on May 29, when the deportees – a man and a woman – were sent back by the United Kingdom immigration authorities while they were en route to Canada through London. Though a case was registered by Mumbai police soon afterwards, a probe revealed that the passports were used to illegally transport people on at least four previous occasions.
Investigators have already begun zeroing in on airport personnel who may have colluded with the racketeers. “In Delhi, we identified two immigration officials who allowed impersonators to travel on these passports. We also cross-checked images from the server with those on the passports. They did not match on many occasions,” a Delhi Police officer said.
