Man arrested for visa fraud

Kochi: A 45-year-old man was arrested on Monday by Ernakulam rural police for allegedly committing visa fraud.U Vijay of Keezhmad, Aluva, was arrested by an investigation team led by Muvattupuzha police inspector Anil George.Vijay was arrested in a case where he allegedly defrauded money from a young woman from Valakom, near Muvattupuzha, by promising a visa for a job in a company in Hungary. With similar cases and complaints pending at various stations in the state, he was in hiding.The accused was taken into custody from a rented house in Palappuram area of Ottapalam. The investigation team included SI T A Muhammed, ASIs P S Salim, V M Jamal and senior civil police officer Haris H. The accused was presented in court and remanded in judicial custody.Sources said visa fraudsters in the district are offering various jobs, especially blue-collar positions, in countries ranging from Sweden to South Korea. Aspirants have been duped with offers for roles like supermarket employees, warehouse workers, helpers and packing staff. This marks a distinct change from recruitment in the nursing sector — a common modus operandi earlier, as almost none of the current cases involved healthcare jobs.Experts have been calling for implementation of an accreditation system like those in other sectors so that consultancies are forced to apply for approval. Meanwhile, police have advised aspirants to pursue overseas jobs only through legally registered agencies.Probe launched into drug peddling rackets: City police have launched a detailed probe into the rackets behind three major drug busts in the past one week.On May 11, Ernakulam rural police arrested three persons with approximately 600 grams of heroin worth nearly Rs 1 crore, smuggling drugs by car from Assam. It was one of the largest heroin busts in the district in recent times. Police said they received crucial leads on the customers and source of the drug trade.Meanwhile, excise department, which arrested two men with synthetic drugs in Kalamassery late on Saturday, has begun investigation into the source of the contraband. Sleuths had seized 21.055 grams of MDMA from North Kalamassery. On Friday, a multi-agency inspection was held in Kochi, leading to the arrest of a 43-year-old man with 33.15 grams of MDMA. City police are investigating this case to identify the man's customers.