Three Air India staffers arrested for alleged human trafficking at Delhi airport

New Delhi, Dec 28 (IANS) Three Air India staffers were nabbed by CISF personnel for allegedly attempting to allow a man to fly to a European country based on fake documents, a Delhi Police official said on Thursday.

However, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) claimed that four airline staff members and one passenger were nabbed.

"Around 1.15 p.m. on Wednesday, the CISF surveillance and intelligence staff at IGI Airport, New Delhi, observed suspicious activities involving a passenger seated in the check-in area near departure gate No 5. The passenger, identified as Diljot Singh, an Indian national intending to travel from Delhi to Birmingham with Air India, became the focus of attention," it said in a statement.

Due to profiling concerns, Singh was directed to undergo thorough screening at a random checkpoint.

"Despite a comprehensive examination of his baggage revealing no suspicious items, Singh's failure to board the flight raised alarm. When questioned about his non-boarding, he provided unsatisfactory answers," a senior CISF official said.

"Based on strong suspicion, his previous movements were tracked through CCTV footage. Electronic surveillance and inquiries with the passenger revealed that after checking in at F-11 counter, he proceeded to immigration, where officials stopped him for possessing dubious travel documents. He was instructed to bring the airline staff concerned to address the doubts, as per the CISF. Upon further review of CCTV footage, it was discovered that Singh neither returned to the check-in counter nor came back to the immigration counter. Subsequent inquiries revealed that his check-in formalities were processed at the crew counter F-11 by Air India staff Rohan Verma, CSA, based on incorrect documents. It was discovered that the passenger was travelling on a Seamen letter (authorised to work on a ship only), but the Air India staff, Verma, manually completed his check-in formalities as BRP (Biometric Residence Permits, UK). Upon questioning, Verma confessed that, as directed by his colleague Mohammad Jahangir-CSA, AISATS, he checked in the passenger, along with two more passengers, using forged documents, for which he received Rs. 80,000.

"Jahangir, upon questioning, admitted that he instructed his colleague to complete the check-in formalities of the passengers using forged documents, as he was offered Rs 40,000 per passenger by Rakesh, a resident of Mahipalpur," the statement read.

Subsequently, all involved staff, along with the said passenger, were handed over to Delhi Police for further legal action.

Later, an FIR has been registered against all of them. According to the FIR, accessed by IANS, CISF surveillance and intelligence staff at the airport noticed suspicious activities of a passenger who was sitting in check-in area near departure gate no 5.

"The passenger was later identified as Mr Diljot Singh, (Indian) who was supposed to travel from Delhi to Birmingham by an Air India Flight," the FIR read.

Three airline staff members, as per FIR, Verma, Yash and Jahangir are being grilled by interrogators. Police have registered an FIR under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 ( forging document) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) at the IGI airport police station.

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