Abu Dhabi // Police smashed a ring that was selling counterfeit work visas for Dh8,000 each in Ras al Khaimah, the Ministry of Interior said yesterday. Three men, all from unspecified Asian countries, suspected of selling the fake visas to illegal workers have been arrested in the case so far, it said. One suspect was caught with 37 counterfeit visas, which police said he bought for Dh85,000. Another had seven fake visas, for which he paid Dh26,000, and the third suspect had purchased four visas for Dh7,500.
Police believe those who manufactured the documents are still at large. They believe the visas were counterfeited both inside and outside the country. In a raid on one office in the emirate where they believe some of the documents were forged, officers from the Naturalisation and Residency Department, which has the job of tracking down illegal immigrants, found a computer, copies of passports and other counterfeiting tools.
Officials became aware of the ring after two workers in Khor Fakkan were arrested and charged with holding counterfeit visas. Police identified an estate agency and a travel agency which, they said, were trading in fake visas, said Col Abdullah al Hosani. According to the ministry, two of the fake visas carried the names of legitimate workers from Bangladesh - a 21-year-old builder and a 26-year-old ordinary worker.
The company named on one of the visas, a building contractor, could not be reached for comment yesterday. @Email:hhassan@thenational.ae