Officials of Emigration, police crackdown on illegal overseas recruitment agents

10 premises involved in illicit recruitment activities raided, nine cases registered against illegal agents and five arrested in the comprehensive operation conducted by the Protector of Emigrants, Chennai and the Greater Chennai Police on Wednesday

In an attempt to check illegal overseas recruitment, the Protector of Emigrants (PoE), Chennai and the Greater Chennai Police, conducted a comprehensive operation on Wednesday and raided more than 10 premises involved in illicit recruitment activities.

As a result of this coordinated effort, nine cases were registered against the illegal agents, and multiple arrests were made. Authorities seized several mobile phones and laptops used for communicating with candidates, and the investigation is on to uncover further violations. During the operation, it was found that many of the illegal agents were targeting individuals seeking employment in East European countries and Canada. These agents charged exorbitant fees, often amounting to lakhs of rupees, under the guise of charges for visa processing and work permits. Many candidates reported being misled and defrauded in various ways, the PoE said.

“No individual or agency can recruit Indian citizens for overseas employment without a valid licence from the Ministry of External Affairs. Engaging in such recruitment without a licence is a violation of the Emigration Act, 1983, and strict legal action will be pursued against those involved,” the PoE said in a statement.

A senior police officer of the Job Racket Investigation Wing, Central Crime Branch said during the raid they identified nine companies, operating in Chennai without licence and giving false promises of employment opportunity in Gulf Countries, Singapore and Malaysia. Five fake overseas employment agents were arrested. 

They have been identified as Syed Mohammed Sahabuddin, Managing Director of SIIMA Consultancy, Thousand lights, Ramkumar, Managing Director and Mageshwaren, Manager of Aram Vissa, Anna Salai, Karthick Babu, Consultant of Migrantz Service, Pantheon Road, Eesa Mariya Babu, Managing Director of Business Point HR Solutions, Redhills Road, Kolathur.

The City Police Commissioner A.Arun advised the general public to be aware of fake advertisements about overseas job opportunities.

To ensure safety and security, the PoE advises overseas job seekers to engage only with licenced recruiting agents. These agents undergo stringent inspections and document verification before obtaining their licences, making them a reliable choice for overseas job placements. For a current list of licenced overseas recruiting agents and job opportunities, please visit emigrate.gov.in. For any inquiries, job seekers can also reach out to the PoE helpline at 9042149222.

Published - September 26, 2024 10:04 pm IST