Keralite held in UAE with fake visa

Dubai: A Keralite working in the UAE has been handed over to the police for presenting before an investment firm a fake job visa sent to him by his friend in India to check its status.

He was handed over to the police by the company in Abu Dhabi as they suspected him to be part of a fake visa racket.

The visa was issued from Dubai on March 30 to Leo Padinharemadam Ramabhadran, of Kannur district, Gulf news reported.

"I don't even know the person. A common friend in India e-mailed me the visa and asked me to check the status of employment with the company," said the man who works with a private hospital in the UAE capital.

"The visa was nearing expiry, and my friend who knows Ramabhadran said he was worried that his ticket had not arrived," he said, requesting anonymity.

He said the company refused to listen to his explanation and handed him over to the police. The man was later released on bail.

Bogus recruiting agents luring job-seekers from India has been a matter of grave concern for years. Instances abound of women falling victims to the flesh trade after being flown in with fake job offers, the report said.

The job visa even bears the stamp of the general directorate of residence and foreigners affairs of the UAE's ministry of interior.