Surgeries for fake fingerprints: Four held in Rachakonda

The arrested persons were G.Naga Muneswar Reddy, S.Venkata Ramana, B.Shiva Shankar Reddy and R. Rama Krishna Reddy, all from Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad: Two persons who were allegedly involved in illegal fingerprint surgeries to send people to Kuwait for jobs were arrested in a joint operation by the Rachakonda Special Operations Team and Ghatkesar police on Thursday. Two others, who were earlier deported from the country and got the procedure done for re-entry too were held. Officials seized medical kits used for the surgery.

The arrested persons were G.Naga Muneswar Reddy, S.Venkata Ramana, B.Shiva Shankar Reddy and R. Rama Krishna Reddy, all from Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.

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Muneshwar Reddy, a certified Radiological Analyst in Tirupati and his friend Venkata Ramana, an Anesthesia technician who learnt about the illegal process of performing tampering procedure to fingertips of those who were earlier working in Kuwait, but were deported back to India for illegal stay. They decided to perform the procedure and make easy money.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said the duo performed fingerprint tampering surgeries for six persons and charged Rs.1.5 lakh. Later the duo performed three more surgeries at their village and charged Rs.25, 000 each. Among the suspects, Shiva Shankar Reddy and Rama Krishna Reddy too underwent the surgery.

“Those who were deported to their respective countries from Kuwait are indulging in illegal tampering surgery of finger tips. The suspects cut the upper layer of the fingertip, remove some part of the tissue and re-stitch it by using the above medical kit,” Bhagwat said adding that in a month or two, the wound gets healed and there will be a slight change of finger print pattern.

It is also learnt that the suspects were aware that the technology used at the Kuwait Immigration was allegedly not so advanced. By taking advantage of it, the individuals who were involved in petty criminal cases, overstay are indulging in getting the fingerprint tampering surgery done.

“Further, they update their finger prints at Aadhar centre by changing their residential address and apply for work visa to Kuwait. Later, they travel to Kuwait on a fresh visa. These new finger prints last for one year in the same condition,” the commissioner said.