NEW DELHI: Indian police said on Thursday they have arrested two Air India employees after uncovering a people smuggling operation at New Delhi airport that apparently targeted Nepalese quake victims.
A senior police officer at the airport said staff at the national carrier were suspected of helping Nepalese women promised jobs in weal thy Gulf countries to evade immigration procedures.
So far 28 women have been identified, most of whom police said were from areas of Nepal badly affected by a major earthquake in April, which killed thousands and left many more homeless.
M. I. Haider, deputy commissioner of police at the airport, said the scam was exposed on July 21 when a group of seven Nepalese women transiting Delhi airport en route to Dubai were found with their travel documents stamped even though they had not yet cleared immigration control.
Police briefly detained the women and arrested two Air India ground staff, who admitted under questioning that they had been paid $90 per person to arrange the forged documents.
Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2015
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