Vikas Jaiswal and Chirag Patel accused of masterminding illegal visa network by luring people with jobs in the UK. Yet another instance of Gujaratis desperate to settle abroad regardless of consequences.
An increasing number of Gujaratis are risking their reputation and even lives to land lucrative jobs in foreign shores. Undeterred by the consequences of deportation and swayed by the glamour and social prestige of having a US or UK visa, they’re landing in the hands of immigration mafias abroad.
Only recently, Dingucha, a small village in Gujarat, made headlines after an Indian family froze to death while attempting to illegally enter the US via the Canada border. Six months ago, reports emerged of 136 missing immigrants, who apparently chose to enter the US illegally through the Mexico-Turkey route.
And now, Ranip, a residential locality in North Ahmedabad, is in the news for human trafficking operation. Chirag Patel and Ranip’s Vikas Jaiswal are the alleged conmen named in the case. The two are accused of managing trafficking rings through illegal visas.
Jaiswal met Patel in 2009 when he was in the UK on a student visa. He stayed in contact with Patel after he returned to India two years later.
Vibes of India understands that it was during this period that the two masterminded an illegal visa network.
Using other photo IDs and morphed photographs, Jaiswal would courier fake passports to Patel. The passports were hidden in the religious books of ascetic and yogi, Swaminarayan, and dispatched through different courier agencies.
While Jaiswal and one of his accomplices were in charge of arranging fake passports, Patel would open bank accounts for the illegal immigrants in the UK and attempt to create job opportunities using their duplicate passports. Patel would charge anything in the tune of rupees one lakh to execute these fraudulent activities.
The scam came to light when a leading courier company scanned the parcels and found passports concealed in Swaminarayan’s books. Ashwin Jayantilal Pandya, supervisor of a high-speed courier company, immediately informed the CID, upon which investigation was undertaken.
Sensing that his game was up and fearing a possible arrest, Jaiswal has already fled to the UK. Vibes of India has learned that he has a loan against a residential property.
So, what could be done to curb this menace of illegal migration? Having barbed fences across the borders may not be the only solution. Perhaps, there could be a whiff of change if the government could maximise job opportunities, impose stringent laws for forged passports and encourage startups to have more recruitment processes.
Also Read: The Four Indians Who Froze To Death, Confirmed To Be Gujaratis: Canadian Consulate Confirms
