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15 Pakistani expatriates arrested for visa forgery

DUBAI — Fifteen Pakistanis were arrested here for allegedly forging visas and passing them on to people from South Asian countries.

The last man to have benefited from the gang's service was nabbed at the Dubai airport while preparing to board a plane bound for Europe. Police and immigration sources told Khaleej Times that the gang started its operations in Dubai sometime ago but was involved in the business of forging visas even before moving to Dubai.

The arrest of the 15 men at an apartment in Dubai followed a tip-off that led to intensive investigations. Police said the men used advanced technology to forge visas. They were all staying in Dubai and offered their services to people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The official sources said most of the gang's customers hailed from these three South Asian countries, particularly Pakistan.

The alleged gangsters charged Dh10,000 for each of the forged schengen visas. The exact number of people having made use of such forged visas is not known yet.

Such cases have come to light in the past also and the UAE police have been alert in preventing and curbing this menace. The sources said people wanting to use the forged visas came from their country of origin and transited through Dubai. They would thereafter use the visas to fly to European destinations.

Police said the gang was busted after meticulous team-work and cooperation among various security agencies in Dubai. The case has been referred to the public prosecutors' office for charges to be officially filed against the accused.

• UAE