Dubai-based agent dupes 27 people in Ahmedabad in ₹4 cr UK work visa scam

A case has come to light involving a large-scale scam where an individual based in Dubai allegedly lured Indian youth with the promise of work permits in the UK and European countries for just ₹5 lakh. 

According to a complaint filed with the Ahmedabad Crime Branch by Jignesh Shah, a resident of Odhav, he and his friends were seeking opportunities to work abroad. They came across Mahesh Prajapati of Ahmedabad and currently residing in Dubai, who claimed he could secure UK work permits for ₹5 lakh per person. 

An advance payment of ₹50,000 was required, after which the candidate would have to work in Dubai for six months to a year. During that period, Mahesh would deduct the remaining amount from their salary and then arrange their UK work permits.

Believing the offer, Jignesh and 26 others transferred a total of around ₹22 lakh to Mahesh. Some of them were sent to Dubai on visas, but were reportedly not given any jobs. Meanwhile, for the UK visa, a minimum bank balance of ₹20 lakh had to be shown. As many applicants did not have the funds, Mahesh offered to arrange it for a 1% interest fee. Trusting him, Jignesh shared bank account details of his family members.

Mahesh then deposited ₹20 lakh into Jignesh’s accounts, instructing him to withdraw the amount and deposit it in a finance firm named P Angadiya located in Bapunagar. In total, Mahesh reportedly routed ₹4 crore through the bank accounts of various youths.

Investigations revealed that Mahesh used this method to circulate unaccounted money, exploiting bank accounts of youth under the pretense of visa processing. Several youths returned from Dubai after realising they had no jobs as promised.

Preliminary findings from Vadodara Cyber Crime suggest that Mahesh Prajapati has been operating from Dubai since 2021 under a golden visa and has allegedly been involved in similar money laundering activities in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surendranagar, Bhavnagar, and even in states like Rajasthan, Delhi, and Maharashtra.

Ahmedabad Crime Branch has registered a case and launched a probe into the matter.