PTI

Mumbai, Dec 5: The police on Tuesday December 4, claimed to have busted two gangs involved in facilitating illegal immigration of Indians to the US and UK and arrested nine people, including an air hostess.

The first gang sent the immigrants to the US as the spouse or close relative of an air hostess, Aliya Rizvi, city Police Commissioner D N Jadhav told reporters in Mumbai.

Rizvi was arrested along with the alleged kingpin of the racket Altaf Hasan Shaikh and other agents, identified as Yusuf Akram Baig and Rajesh Gamelawala of Ahmedabad, he said.

Rajesh Trivedi, a 32-year-old resident of Ahmedabad, who wanted to settle in the US, has also been arrested.

Shaikh had created a fake certificate of Trivedi and Rizvi's marriage as air hostesses get visas for themselves and their spouses easily, he said.

"Trivedi was charged Rs 20 lakh for the job out of which Rs 1.80 lakh was to be given to Rizvi as her commission," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria said without divulging the name of the company where she worked.

"Other air hostesses can also be involved in the racket. The gang has sent three immigrants to the US illegally and the Consulate has told us that there have been 72 cases wherein air hostesses have visited US along with their relatives," he said.