In a continued effort to tackle illegal travel agencies, the Punjab Police’s NRI Affairs Wing and Cyber Crime Wing, in collaboration with the Protectorate of Emigrants, Chandigarh, have filed cases against 18 more travel agencies for illegally advertising foreign employment opportunities on social media.
This action comes after the registration of 20 FIRs against 25 illegal agencies in August. With these new cases, the total number of illegal travel agencies booked has now reached 43, an official spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.
The Protectorate of Emigrants had flagged the advertising practices of these travel agencies on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which promoted jobs abroad without proper licenses.
Praveen K. Sinha, Additional Director General of Police (NRI Affairs), explained, “These agencies were advertising jobs overseas on social media without the necessary licenses and approvals. Our teams covertly monitored these platforms, checked their credentials, and filed FIRs accordingly.”
A total of 18 new FIRs have been registered under the Emigration Act at various NRI police stations across Punjab, including Amritsar, Mohali, Ludhiana, and Patiala. Six of these cases were registered in September, and twelve more this month.
Out of the 34 accused in the 26 FIRs filed in August and September, 25 have been arrested, and investigations continue. Notices are being sent to the remaining accused agencies.
ADGP Sinha urged the public to exercise caution when choosing travel agents. “Always verify an agency’s credentials before giving them any documents or money,” he advised. He emphasized that only agencies holding a valid Recruiting Agent (RA) license under the Emigration Act, 1983, should be trusted.
The ADGP’s message was clear: “Verify, then trust. This should be the guiding principle when dealing with travel agents.”
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