Delhi Police arrested 203 for facilitating illegal immigration during 2024: Report

NEW DELHI: The year 2024 witnessed a 107% increase in arrests related to agents involved in facilitating illegal immigration through fake documents, compared to 2023. According to Delhi Police data, 203 individuals, including travel agents and illegal immigration facilitators, were arrested this year, up from 98 in 2023. Of those arrested, 142 agents were detained in new cases, while 61 were caught after a review of pending investigations.
A large portion of the arrested agents were from Punjab (70), followed by Haryana (32), Delhi and Uttar Pradesh (25 each), and West Bengal (17). The remaining suspects were from other states and countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Deputy commissioner of Police (IGIA), Usha Rangnani, highlighted the increasing number of passengers falling victim to fraudsters. She said, "Many passengers fall victim to fraudsters who promise easy access to foreign countries in exchange for an upfront fee." She urged the public to remain vigilant, advising them to verify the credentials of agents offering immigration services, especially when the offers seem too good to be true.
The data also revealed a significant rise in Look Out Circulars (LOCs), with 121 issued this year. Additionally, 56 proclaimed offenders, some involved in cases dating back a decade, were arrested.

In cases involving fake visas, 71 agents were arrested for forging visas that closely resembled authentic ones, deceiving both passengers and immigration officials. Another 16 agents were arrested for facilitating illegal travel through "donkey routes," exploiting porous borders and visa-on-arrival policies. These agents routed passengers through countries such as Dubai, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Mexico, before reaching the United States.

Further arrests included 31 agents involved in impersonation and identity fraud, three who reissued passports for individuals previously deported or rejected by immigration authorities, and five who created counterfeit seaman books allowing passengers to travel internationally as crew members. Another 23 agents were arrested for forging passports and tampering with immigration stamps.
Additional arrests involved 18 agents who falsified travel histories with fake stamps and four who helped passengers assume the identities of individuals in the passports they were using. Nine agents were arrested for facilitating "No Departure" cases, where passengers returned to their home countries without their departure being recorded in the immigration system.
Two major cases from 2024 highlighted the severity of these crimes. In one case, a passenger paid Rs 50 lakh to an agent named Sultan, who attempted five times to send the victim to the USA via Vietnam, Qatar, and Senegal. After being deported and jailed, the victim’s financial and emotional toll became a cautionary tale. In another case, two agents advertised "Guaranteed Canadian Visas" on social media, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals for the scam.