Surat Police Bust Fake Visa Racket, One Arrested

The Surat Police’s Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB) and Special Operations Group (SOG) have dismantled a major fake visa racket operating from a residential flat in the Rander area. The accused, Pratik Shah, an engineer, was arrested for allegedly producing counterfeit visa stickers of multiple countries over the past decade.

During the raid, police seized high-quality forged visa stickers for the UK, Canada, Germany, Czech Republic, Macedonia, and Serbia, along with printing equipment, hallmark papers, laptops, mobile phones, and specialized design software used in the operation.

Investigators revealed that Shah had been running the illegal setup for nearly 10 years, producing an estimated 700 fake visas, which were sold through a network of agents in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, and even abroad in Thailand. Each fake document was reportedly priced between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000.

Police identified Shah as a habitual offender, with at least 12 prior cases linked to passport and visa fraud. Following his arrest, a local court remanded him in custody for further interrogation, as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the racket and its network of collaborators.

Officials described the seizure as one of the largest fake visa busts in Surat in recent years, raising concerns over cross-border fraud and the risks posed to genuine travelers.