New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in the French Embassy visa fraud case, indicting the local law officer of the consulate as well as some of his family members.

A total of eight accused have been charge sheeted by the investigating agency in the French Embassy scam. They include the local Law officer in the Visa Department of the Embassy of France, his father, brother and wife, two visa agents and two middlemen.

The visa scam pertained to the enticement of Punjab-based youths for Schengen visas, through a network of agents and also illegal issuance of visas in lieu of huge sums of money. A network of visa agents used to tap youths from Punjab, who were issued Schengen visas, in connivance with senior officials of the French Embassy.

The International Division of CBI had registered a case in connection with the alleged visa fraud involving the Embassy in 2021. While probing the scam, the agency also managed to secure India’s first silver notice issued through Interpol, which enabled it to expand its investigation abroad and trace the assets of embassy officials, built on the proceeds of crime.

“The then Local Law Officer in the Visa Department of the Embassy of France targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, through a network of visa agents and induced them to give a huge amount of money for obtaining Schengen visas,” the agency said in an official statement, citing its investigation findings.

A network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab, received money ranging from Rs 13 Lakh to Rs 45 Lakh from each visa applicant and in lieu of these large sums of money, visa applications were processed by the accused, and after issuance of Schengen visas, the accused destroyed the visa documents and files.

During the investigation, huge amounts of cash and multiple documents relating to properties worth crores, acquired in India and abroad, were found at various locations in Punjab and Delhi.

Two accused visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funnelled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached the accused Local Law Officer and his family members- brother, father and wife through the two middlemen.

The CBI sleuths successfully coordinated with multiple agencies, including international agencies, to secure evidence in the case.

The International Operations Division of CBI coordinated with the International Police Cooperation Unit and was also successful in getting India’s first Silver notice published in the case.

–IANS

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