Three arrested in connection with unauthorized biometric enrolment of 28 visa applicants for Canada

This incident highlights how unsuspecting visa applicants are becoming victims of fraudulent or grey operators exploiting the high demand for outbound travel/

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad police have arrested three persons, including two employees of a visa outsourcing firm, for carrying out unauthorised biometrics enrolment of 28 unsuspecting visa applicants wanting to migrate to Canada, an official said.

Based on a complaint given by VFS Global, a visa outsourcing and technology services firm having its centre on Ashram Road here in Ahmedabad, the police crime branch here on July 16 registered a case against four persons – Melvyn Christy, Sohil Dewan, Mehul Bharwad and an unidentified man.

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While Christy and Dewan work at VFS Global’s visa application centre in Ahmedabad, Bharwad is a former employee of the firm. They were booked on the charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery and criminal conspiracy, police said.

Following an investigation, the city crime branch on Wednesday arrested Christy, Dewan and Bharwad, the police said in a release.

As per the laid down procedure, Canadian visa applicants are required to give their biometric information, such as fingerprints, at the VFS Global’s visa application centres only after getting an appointment letter or biometric instruction letter, the police said.

On July 5, the Canadian High Commission, through an email, informed the company that it has received biometric data of 28 persons from VFS Global’s visa application centre in Ahmedabad, but appointment letters to these persons were never issued by the Canadian authorities.

After going through the CCTV cameras of the centre, the company officials learnt Christy and Dewan carried out the biometric enrolment of these 28 persons without the knowledge of the officials, the police said.

It was also revealed the 28 persons were given forged appointment letters because the official data of the company did not reflect the names of these persons.

Following the arrest of the trio, it was revealed that Bharwad, who works for an immigration agent, had approached the two VFS Global employees with an offer to carry out biometric enrolment of 28 persons sans enrolment letters, and offered to give Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per person, the crime branch said.

Christy and Dewan called these 28 persons on different dates and enrolled their biometrics without any valid documents. To dodge the security set up, the duo used to take these persons inside the office from other entry points instead of the main entry door, said the release.

Talking to reporters, Prabuddha Sen, Chief Operating Officer (South Asia), VFS Global, said the 28 persons were duped by the agent because they were under the impression that the appointment letters given by the agent were altered using software.

“The agent gave them a forged letter to claim their applications for Canada immigration have moved forward and now they need to give their biometric data at their centre,” he said.

This is another incident of unsuspecting visa applicants falling prey to fraudulent or grey operators who are taking advantage of the high demand for outbound travel from India, he said.

Sen said the company has hired the services of former IPS officer Muktesh Chander to keep a tab on such activities.

A day after the FIR was registered, a person approached the VFS Global office here saying he was among those 28 persons who had given biometrics as instructed by his immigration agent, said Chander.

“The visa applicant told us he was not aware the appointment letter was not genuine. He told us he has already paid Rs 15 lakh to the agent and the latter has been demanding more. We told him at least he will not lose more because the scam has been unearthed now,” he said.