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The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Jammu Crime Branch has filed a chargesheet against five accused in connection with an alleged international job and work visa fraud syndicate targeting unemployed youth. Submitted before the Court of Excise Magistrate in Jammu on Saturday, the chargesheet stems from an investigation launched last year following allegations that the accused duped job seekers of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of securing employment in countries including New Zealand. According to the investigating agency, the network operated across Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
Fake New Zealand Visa and Flight Tickets Handed to Victim
The accused named in the chargesheet have been identified as Vijay Gill, Harris Gill, and Mandeep Singh, all residents of Samba district, alongside Tirlochan Singh and Ravinder Singh from Punjab. Investigators stated that the group allegedly lured unemployed youth seeking overseas employment with attractive job offers.
The investigation originated from a written complaint lodged by Vishal Kumar, a resident of Rajpura village in Samba district. Kumar alleged that Harris Gill and his uncle Vijay Gill collected ₹11.62 lakh from him after promising to arrange a New Zealand work visa and overseas employment. According to the complaint, the accused handed him a visa document and air tickets before calling him to Delhi. However, he was placed in circumstances that forced him to return home without travelling abroad. Growing suspicious of the documents, Kumar approached the authorities, and subsequent investigation confirmed that the purported New Zealand visa was fabricated.
Forensic Analysis and Ministry Verification Confirm Fraud
During the course of the investigation, the Economic Offences Wing conducted technical surveillance and examined bank account transactions alongside documentary records. The agency sought official verification of the visa document from the Ministry of External Affairs, which confirmed in its report that the New Zealand visa issued to the complainant was entirely fake. Investigators treated this verification report as a crucial piece of evidence.
Financial trails and purported agreements executed among the accused were also scrutinised through bank statement analysis. Furthermore, forensic examination of the signature on the primary agreement scientifically authenticated Vijay Gill’s signature, directly linking him to the transaction. Based on oral, documentary, financial, and scientific evidence, the Crime Branch established the alleged involvement of all five accused.
Wider Syndicate Activity Across Two Regions
Investigators noted that the syndicate’s operations were not confined to a single victim, as the group allegedly ran a wider network targeting unemployed job aspirants across Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab with false promises of overseas placement. In the present case, however, the specific charge pertains to defrauding Vishal Kumar of ₹11.62 lakh.
Officials observed that overseas employment scams frequently rely on middlemen offering high salaries, permanent jobs, and simplified visa processing, using forged offer letters, visas, and tickets to extract advance payments from unsuspecting applicants. With the chargesheet and supporting evidence now placed before the court for judicial scrutiny, authorities have advised aspiring overseas workers to independently verify visa authenticity through official embassies or authorised channels before making any financial payments.
