Over 130 held in visa, passport fraud last year
Delhi Police also intensified action against touts, thefts at airport
The IGI Airport unit of the Delhi Police carried out an extensive crackdown on visa and passport fraud in 2025, arresting more than 130 people involved in illegal immigration activities, officials said on Saturday.
According to the IGI Airport police, those arrested include travel agents and facilitators accused of duping passengers and aiding fraudulent overseas travel. For the first time, investigators also focused on the financial trail of such crimes, identifying and freezing over 100 bank accounts of agents suspected to be linked to illegal transactions.
In one case, the police have moved court seeking
attachment of property believed to have been acquired from the proceeds of crime, with similar action planned against other accused.
“In most cases, a large part of the money was paid in cash, which made financial investigation challenging. Despite this, significant progress has been made,” the police said, adding that the objective was to completely eliminate such activities at Delhi’s airport.
During the year, the police also issued 140 lookout circulars (LOCs) against absconding accused to prevent them from fleeing abroad. In addition, 119 proclaimed offenders, including those wanted in decade-old cases, were arrested.
The IGI Airport unit also intensified action against touts and thefts at the airport. More than 300 cases of touting were registered, leading to the arrest of over 400 people. Around 60 individuals were arrested in cases related to theft from passenger baggage and cargo. The police said ground-handling staff of airlines concerned were questioned as part of investigations into baggage thefts.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport) Vichitra Veer said the unit remains committed to taking strict action against illegal immigration, touting, theft and all other unlawful activities at the airport.
