New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): A 49-year-old man was arrested from Kerala for allegedly duping people on the pretext of sending them abroad on fake visas and passport, a Delhi Police official said on Monday.

The accused was identified as Mujeeb P.P., a resident of district Malappuram, Kerala and a non-bailable warrant was also issued against the accused.

The arrest of the mastermind behind the fake visa racket came two years after the IGI airport police had arrested two agents and a passenger travelling on a fake Spain visa in 2019.

“In 2019, a case was registered in which it was alleged that one passenger, Vishal Khullar, a resident of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, carrying a passport valid up to August 29, 2026, was given departure immigration clearance to Madrid (Spain) on the strength of Schengen Visa valid from March 2, 2019 to April 2, 2019. Later, during scrutiny of travel documents of the passenger at boarding gate, the aforesaid Schengen Visa sticker affixed on his passport was detected as counterfeit by Air India security staff,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani.

Subsequently, the visa was confirmed to be counterfeit by the Security, Investigation & Fraud Prevention Cell (NR), Air India and the German ALO at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi.

During the probe of the case, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Mujeeb P.P. and he was recently arrested from his native place Kuttipuram, district Malappuram.

“He was produced before the Magistrate of District Courts Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala and on transit remand he was brought to Delhi and one day police custody remand has been obtained,” said the DCP.

On interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was working on commission basis along with other agents.

“He was receiving Rs 50,000 for each target/victim. He further admitted to their crime and disclosed that he along with his associates started cheating people in order to earn easy money so as to fulfill their expenses for a luxurious lifestyle,” said the DCP.

“Further efforts are being made to scrutinise their bank accounts and to trace their possible involvement in other similar complaints/cases also,” said the official.