MUMBAI POLICE UNIT EFFECTIVE IN ANTI SMUGGLING ENFORCEMENT

UNCLAS MUMBAI 000446 SIPDIS DS/CR/OCI FOR JOHN AYBAR DS/CR/VPAU FOR TIM LONGANACRE AND YVETTE COLMAN CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM, DHS FOR CIS/FDNS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC IN KFRD SUBJECT: MUMBAI POLICE UNIT EFFECTIVE IN ANTI SMUGGLING ENFORCEMENT ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Working in cooperation with the newly created Mumbai Police Crime Branch Anti Human Trafficking and Smuggling Cell (AHTSC),Mumbai ARSOI successfully pursued the arrest of 12 suspects since February in an ongoing human smuggling network involving Air India employees. Reference DS Case VF-2009-00156, and ARSO-I Mumbai IIRs dated 09/10/2009, 03/05/2009, and 11/03/2009. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The investigation began with the discovery that two Air India employees were recruited by agents into a scheme whereby they used their real wives' identities and passports (photo-substituted) to apply for and obtain U.S. visas for imposter wives, who they then successfully smuggled into the United States. The two employees were subsequently arrested on February 25, 2009. Since then, Mumbai Crime Branch has made a succession of arrests in this case, including the agents and several accomplices. ¶3. (SBU) Four travelers, who used their wives' altered passports to obtain U.S. visas and smuggle women into the United States, have had their B1/B2 visas revoked under INA 212(A)(6)(E) for Human Smuggling. The B1/B2 Visas issued to their false spouses have been identified for prudential revocation. Police investigation indicates true spouses were not complicit in the scheme, and no P6E lookout will be entered in addition to the revocation. CLASS lookouts P6C for misrepresentation of identity have been entered for the four imposter wives. Seven agents and recruiters have had their visas revoked 6E for human smuggling, and one forger has had a P6E lookout placed on his identity. ¶4. (SBU) AHTSC Police officers offered Mumbai ARSO-I and FSN-I the opportunity to interview the incarcerated passport fixers. The forger demonstrated how they removed the lamination from the biographical data page of legitimately obtained Indian passports, altered it, used a metal die to recreate the texture of the lamination, and re-stitched the books. Their cache of 46 passports recovered during the arrest of the first agent in March generated additional leads. Joint investigation by ARSO-I and Mumbai Crime Branch of the passports revealed several additional individuals who had been issued U.S. visas, with imposters posing as their wives. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch created the Anti Human Trafficking and Smuggling Cell (AHTSC) this year in response to a spirit of cooperation and encouragement from Mumbai ARSO-I. Cooperative investigations like the Air India case have fueled the project with positive press and a record of successes. ARSO-I Mumbai looks forward to future cooperation with the AHTSC in combating visa fraud. END COMMENT. FOLMSBEE