Navy Officer Arrested in Human Trafficking Ring Bust

A Lieutenant Commander of the Indian Navy was arrested for his alleged involvement in trafficking people to South Korea using forged documents. The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested five individuals in connection with the case, including the suspect from Colaba. He was following instructions from a mastermind within the Navy.

A Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy has been apprehended for his supposed role in a human trafficking operation involving forged documents for travel to South Korea, authorities reported on Sunday.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has detained five individuals, including Lieutenant Commander Vipin Kumar Dagar, aged 28, who was taken into custody from Colaba on Thursday. The other suspects identified are Sub-Lieutenant Braham Jyoti Sharma, Simran Teji, Ravi Kumar, and Deepak Dogra.

The police initially revealed that the group facilitated the illegal travel of 8-10 individuals to the East Asian nation by creating counterfeit documents, charging Rs 10 lakh per case. Dagar is accused of preparing the forged documents and sending them to the Korean Consulate under directives from Sharma, the alleged mastermind who was arrested in Lonavala. The Indian Navy has pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

According to officials, Simran Teji, who was taken into custody from Pune, is a close associate of Sharma and managed the crime's proceeds through her multiple bank accounts. Ravi Kumar and Deepak Dogra, arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, are believed to have been involved in overseeing the operation and scouting potential victims eager to obtain work visas for overseas employment.

Charges of cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and the Passport Act have been filed against the suspects at the MRA police station, with further investigations ongoing. Dagar, a Haryana resident and son of an air force officer, remains in police custody until July 5.