Gujarat ATS Busts Fake Luxembourg Visa Racket, 4 Held

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has uncovered a major fake visa racket involving counterfeit Luxembourg Schengen visas, leading to the arrest of four individuals. The accused — identified as Mayank Bhardwaj from Gandhinagar, Tejendra alias Kishan Gajjar and Manish Patel from Ahmedabad, and Tabrez Kashmiri from Mumbai — allegedly charged victims between ₹8 lakh and ₹9.5 lakh each, promising them valid visas to Luxembourg.

Investigations revealed that at least five passports carried fake visas, which were confirmed as counterfeit by the Luxembourg Embassy in New Delhi. These victims had earlier been denied visas due to forged employment documents. Digital evidence recovered from the accused indicates the racket may have assisted at least 39 more individuals in obtaining fraudulent visas.

An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy. Authorities are continuing the investigation to identify other members of the network and trace the wider operations of the syndicate.

This case underscores growing concerns over organized visa fraud targeting individuals seeking opportunities abroad.