Surat: In a joint operation, the city’s Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB) and Special Operations Group (SOG) busted a fake visa-making operation in the Rander area and arrested an individual, Pratik Shah. Police recovered counterfeit visa stickers of the UK, Canada, Macedonia, Serbia, Czechoslovakia, and several other European countries from the factory. According to initial information, Shah supplied these fake stickers to agents in Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Haryana.

Police investigations revealed that over the past 10 years, Shah had produced around 700 counterfeit visa stickers, charging Rs. 15,000 for each. Some individuals are believed to have traveled abroad using these fake visas, and police are currently investigating their identities. Six agents involved in the racket have also been declared wanted.

Police said Shah meticulously crafted the stickers to appear authentic, taking about seven days to make each one. The fake stickers were sent to agents via courier.

During a raid at a flat near Zaghadiya Chowki in Rander, police seized laptops, visa stickers of various countries, and other materials worth approximately Rs. 1.30 lakh. Files on the laptops indicated the editing of visa stickers for different countries.

Pratik Shah was apprehended from a flat in Samor Residency, Rander, based on a specific tip-off. Shah is a habitual offender, with 12 cases registered against him since 2017, including nine at Umra Police Station, one at Gorva Police Station in Vadodara, and two at IGI Airport Police. DeshGujarat