close_game
close_game

Navy officer arrested for involvement in fake South Korea visa racket

Jun 29, 2024 07:52 AM IST

Indian Navy lieutenant commander arrested for sending people to South Korea on tourist visas with forged documents, charging ₹10 lakh each

MUMBAI: The crime branch officials on Friday arrested Vipin Kumar Dagar, a 28-year-old lieutenant commander of the Indian Navy and launched a manhunt to trace five others for being part of a syndicate that sent people to South Korea on tourist visas by submitting forged documents like medical certificates and bank statements.

HT Image
HT Image

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.

The officials suspect that Dagar worked with five associates. Dagar often used to visit the consulate general of Korea in Mumbai wearing his navy uniform to throw around his weight and follow up on the status of the visas of the candidates. “Dagar even created a ruckus at the consulate general 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,” said a police officer.

The crime branch said they received 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. “Dagar was actively involved in the crime,” added the officer.

Once the evidence was collected against Dagar, an FIR was registered at the MRA Marg police station under sections 419 (cheating by personation) 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable securities), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (fraudulently uses a forged document as genuine), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code along with sections of the Passport Act against Dagar and his associates, said the officer.

The crime branch officials arrested Dagar from his office at the engineering section of the western naval command headquarters in Mumbai as lieutenant commander.

The gang members look for candidates who want to settle down in South Korea. They initially take a few documents and later submit forged documents to the consulate general, added the official.

Dagar was produced in the court and remanded in police custody till July 5. He is a native of Sonipat in Haryana and after completing 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. He comes from a defence background and his father is retired.

Catch every big hit,...
See more
Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On
// // //