By BEGENA P PRADEEP
AUTHORITIES have launched a crackdown on conmen who sell fake visas to foreigners.
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority has pledged to take legal action against rogue agencies, freeze their activities and refuse to process any further paperwork from them.
It comes shortly after a document clearing agency was caught providing expats fake documents to travel here to live and work.
The scam was exposed when General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence officials at Bahrain International Airport caught three Indians trying to enter Bahrain with fake visas late last month.
The men, who had travelled by Air India Express, claimed another Indian man in Bahrain had provided the visas, but claimed they had no clue their documents were fake.
Sources said a Bahrain friend of one of the victims’ relatives, known only as Faisal, had promised to arrange visas for 12 men all from Kerala, to enter Bahrain.
Each visa was said to have cost BD1,400 and Faisal allegedly collected an advance of BD2,000 from the group.
The three men, who are now in police custody, were the first from the group to arrive to Bahrain and authorities at Calicut International Airport where they boarded apparently had no suspicion about their documents.
Bahraini authorities have already arrested Faisal’s accomplice, who was at the airport to receive the three men.
However, authorities are still searching for Faisal, according to sources.
Activists in Bahrain were able to stop the remaining nine men from travelling here after the scam was revealed.
The LMRA also froze all operations of the agency, said LMRA chief executive Ali Radhi.
Fake documents were found following an inspection by LMRA and GDNPR officials, he added.
The incident led to the formation of an investigation committee to collect all evidence and documents related to the case before it is presented to the Public Prosecution.
“The LMRA will remove the agencies that are found involved in this scam, never deal with them again and inform all concerned parties,” said Mr Radhi.
“The LMRA is warning all agencies to be careful with the documents presented to them and follow the correct procedures, whether through LMRA officers or through its website.
“Therefore, any requests will be held responsible for any violations and the LMRA will take the legal and administrative procedures against them.
“We have our own internal system by which we can find if a visa is fake or not.”
By BEGENA P PRADEEP
AUTHORITIES have launched a crackdown on conmen who sell fake visas to foreigners.
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority has pledged to take legal action against rogue agencies, freeze their activities and refuse to process any further paperwork from them.
It comes shortly after a document clearing agency was caught providing expats fake documents to travel here to live and work.
The scam was exposed when General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence officials at Bahrain International Airport caught three Indians trying to enter Bahrain with fake visas late last month.
The men, who had travelled by Air India Express, claimed another Indian man in Bahrain had provided the visas, but claimed they had no clue their documents were fake.
Sources said a Bahrain friend of one of the victims’ relatives, known only as Faisal, had promised to arrange visas for 12 men all from Kerala, to enter Bahrain.
Each visa was said to have cost BD1,400 and Faisal allegedly collected an advance of BD2,000 from the group.
The three men, who are now in police custody, were the first from the group to arrive to Bahrain and authorities at Calicut International Airport where they boarded apparently had no suspicion about their documents.
Bahraini authorities have already arrested Faisal’s accomplice, who was at the airport to receive the three men.
However, authorities are still searching for Faisal, according to sources.
Activists in Bahrain were able to stop the remaining nine men from travelling here after the scam was revealed.
The LMRA also froze all operations of the agency, said LMRA chief executive Ali Radhi.
Fake documents were found following an inspection by LMRA and GDNPR officials, he added.
The incident led to the formation of an investigation committee to collect all evidence and documents related to the case before it is presented to the Public Prosecution.
“The LMRA will remove the agencies that are found involved in this scam, never deal with them again and inform all concerned parties,” said Mr Radhi.
“The LMRA is warning all agencies to be careful with the documents presented to them and follow the correct procedures, whether through LMRA officers or through its website.
“Therefore, any requests will be held responsible for any violations and the LMRA will take the legal and administrative procedures against them.
“We have our own internal system by which we can find if a visa is fake or not.”