India-bound travellers hit by fake visa scam

By WANI MUTHIAH and M. KRISHNAMOORTHY
KUALA LUMPUR: Two to three Malaysians are either barred from leaving for India or deported daily due to fake visas issued to them.
The Indian High Commission has uncovered a scam following the loss of 2,000 visa stickers from its visa centre at the Jalan Duta Chancery.
So far, 50 Malaysians have been redirected back here since October after landing at Indian airports.
It is learnt that the High Commission informed airline companies of the loss and revocation of the said visa stickers. Newspaper advertisements were also placed, stating that Malaysians and other foreign nationals could not use the lost visas (serial numbers published) to travel to India.
New Delhi sent investigators here last month to question several High Commission officials and travel agents.
The High Commission had outsourced the processing of visas in Malaysia to Grandlotus Travel Agencies in August last year, but the High Commission remains in charge of issuing the stickers.
High Commission First Secretary V.K.V. Raman said: “We advise travellers who obtained their visas from unauthorised parties to check with our visa centre or High Commission.”
Malaysian Indian Tour and Travel Agents (Mita) president K. Thangavelu believed that the missing visas had been sold off illegally.
He said Grandlotus would bear full responsibility if there were travel agencies who could provide proof linking the firm to the missing visas.
He said it was unfortunate that travellers and travel agencies had become victims due to the actions of a dishonest few.
Travel agent K.P Samy confirmed that several of his clients headed for India had been barred from leaving at the KL International Airport with others deported back from India due to visa problems.