A man has been arrested in Bengaluru in connection with the fake passport-visa racket busted by Delhi Police, officials said on Saturday. He said Sadiqullah Baig was detained at Bengaluru airport on his arrival from Dubai on Thursday.

Giving information about the arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Ranganani said that a look-out circular was issued against Baig after his name surfaced in a fake visa case in Ludhiana, Punjab. Bengaluru airport staff alerted security personnel as soon as he landed in India, following which he was taken into custody and handed over to Delhi Police, Ranganani said.

Referring to the fake visa case, Ranganani said the passenger, identified as Harvinder Singh Dhanoa from Ludhiana, was found traveling on a fake Canadian visa provided by an agent Muskaan alias Manpreet Kaur a few months ago . Police then arrested Manpreet, who revealed that he had paid Rs 5 lakh to another Bengaluru-based agent, Sadiqullah Baig, for this, the officer said.

He said several police raids could not locate Baig and hence a look-out circular was issued. Another police officer said Baig revealed during interrogation that the fake visa sticker was provided to him by a Dubai-based agent.

The officer further said that Baig told the police that he and his associates cheated people to earn easy money. During further investigation, the man’s bank account was frozen. It contained Rs 1.5 lakh and Baig told investigators that he had transferred the remaining money to his relatives, the officer said.

He said further efforts are on to ascertain his possible involvement in other similar cases.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)