Hi April applicants,
I just found this post by singh123 on the Forum.
This is very important post for all of us. Maybe it will take a while for you guys to Immigrate/travel but you will remember this post on the April thread for further reference. Just keeping a journal of the happenings important to all of us.
Be careful with your Passports at all times anywhere anytime.
Mitali
INDIAN INTERNATIONAL AIR PORT - SCAM
This is a well organized conspiracy by Indian Immigration, Police, Customs and
Air India staff with networking at all the Indian International Airports. Be
watchful when ever you give your passport to Immigration/Customs/Air India
staff. The pass port can be easily tampered and can create trouble to you. They
have found easy way of making money from NRIs. This is the way it works:
At the time of the passenger's departure, if the passenger is not looking at the
officer while he is stamping the exit, the officer very cleverly tears away one
of the page from the passport.
When the passenger leaves the immigration counter, the case is reported on his
computer terminal with full details. Now all over India they have got full
details of the passenger with Red Flag flashing on the Passport number entered
by the departure immigration officer. They have made their money by doing above.
On arrival next time, he is interrogated. Subject to the passenger's period of
stay abroad, his income and standing etc., the price to get rid of the problem
is settled by the Police and Immigration people. If someone argues, his future
is spoiled because there are always some innocent fellows who think the honesty
is the basis of getting justice in India.
Please advise every passenger to be careful at the airport. Whenever they hand
over the passport to the counters of Air India, or immigration or the customs,
they must be vigilant, should not remove eyes from the passport even if the
officer in front tries to divert their attention.
Also, please pass this information to all friends, media men and important
politicians. Every month 20-30 cases are happening all over India to rob the
NRIs the minute he lands. Similar case has happened with Aramco's Arifuddin. He
was traveling with his family. They had six passports. They got the visa of
America and decided to go via Hyderabad from Jeddah. They reached Hyderabad.
Stayed about a month and left for the States. When they reached the States, the
page of the American visa on his wife's passport was missing. At the time of
departure from Hyderabad it was there, the whole family had to return to
Hyderabad helplessly. On arrival at Bombay back, they were caught by the police
and now it is over 2 months, they are running after the Police, Immigration
officers and the Courts. On
going in to details with him, he found out the following:
One cannot imagine, neither can believe, that the Indian Immigration dept can
play such a nasty game to harass the innocent passengers. All the passengers
traveling to & fro India via Bombay and Hyderabad must be aware of this
conspiracy. Every month 15 to 20 cases are taking place, at each mentioned
airport, of holding the passengers in the crime of tearing away the passport
pages. On interviewing some of them, none of them was aware of what had
happened. They don't know why, when and who tore away the page from the middle
of the passport.
One can imagine the sufferings of such people at the hands of the immigration,
police and the court procedures in India after that. The number of cases is
increasing in the last 2-3 years. People who are arriving at the immigration,
they are questioned and their passports are being held and they have to go in
interrogations. Obviously, the conspiracy started about 2 to 3 years ago, now
the results are coming. Some of the Air India counter staff too is involved in
this conspiracy.
KINDLY SEND THIS TO AS MANY AS YOUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE WORLD
SOURCE; immigration.ca/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17&PN=809&title=chc-delhi-2004-applicants
KLM: New Member
LEASE BEWARE. My friend faced same kind of SCAM in 2003. Page of his passport was torn by the immigration officer at New Delhi Airport silently. He was blamed that you are traveling on FAKE VISA AND PASSPORT. Officials harass him very much and said that they will file case against him. My friend was traveling first time to abroad. He call his parents. Officers blackmailed his parents that they will file case against him and send him to jail. Dream of abroad will be broken if once case is filled. Officers told his parents that they all know that Passport & VISA are right. But they will file case against him. They demand for bribe. Then my friend's parents give Rs 150000.00 to immigration officers at Delhi airport. Then he was allowed to take his flight to UK next day. He was going to UK first time. Usually they trap persons who are visiting first time to abroad because they dont know anything about airport and immigration.
Same thing happened with me. My friend warn me about this scam when I was going to UK in 2003. I also faced this but I was very Alert while giving my passport to Immigration officer. He started trapping me and started misguiding me. I keep eye on my passport. I ask him to give my passport back but he didnt and take me to senior official. Because of my alertness I left all my luggage at the counter and follow him quickly and hold him. He gave my passport to senior officer. THey blamed me that I am fake traveler (because of my alertness immigration officer was not able to torn or mark a line on my passport and VISA by pen). I argue with them, very strongly and in a very rude way. I ask the senior officer to take me to General Manager. But he refuses and give my passport back. And the immigration officer had not a single word to say to me. Immigration officer was like a wet cat in front of me. And I take my flight and fly to UK. I was lucky because God helped me and my friend's warning saved me from this TRAP.
Pls beware of this TRAP of Airport officials.
