VZCZCXRO1450
RR RUEHBI
DE RUEHBI #0446 3311055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271055Z NOV 09
FM AMCONSUL MUMBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7577
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 8792
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 2164
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 2810

UNCLAS MUMBAI 000446 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DS/CR/OCI FOR JOHN AYBAR 
DS/CR/VPAU FOR TIM LONGANACRE AND YVETTE COLMAN 
CA/FPP FOR JILL NYSTROM, DHS FOR CIS/FDNS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS CPAS CMGT ASEC IN KFRD
SUBJECT: MUMBAI POLICE UNIT EFFECTIVE IN ANTI SMUGGLING ENFORCEMENT 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Working in cooperation with the newly created 
Mumbai Police Crime Branch Anti Human Trafficking and Smuggling 
Cell (AHTSC), Mumbai ARSOI successfully pursued the arrest of 12 
suspects since February in an ongoing human smuggling network 
involving Air India employees. Reference DS Case VF-2009-00156, 
and ARSO-I Mumbai IIRs dated 09/10/2009, 03/05/2009, and 
11/03/2009.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  The investigation began with the discovery that two 
Air India employees were recruited by agents into a scheme 
whereby they used their real wives' identities and passports 
(photo-substituted) to apply for and obtain U.S. visas for 
imposter wives, who they then successfully smuggled into the 
United States. The two employees were subsequently arrested on 
February 25, 2009. Since then, Mumbai Crime Branch has made a 
succession of arrests in this case, including the agents and 
several accomplices. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Four travelers, who used their wives' altered passports 
to obtain U.S. visas and smuggle women into the United States, 
have had their B1/B2 visas revoked under INA 212(A)(6)(E) for 
Human Smuggling.  The B1/B2 Visas issued to their false spouses 
have been identified for prudential revocation.  Police 
investigation indicates true spouses were not complicit in the 
scheme, and no P6E lookout will be entered in addition to the 
revocation. CLASS lookouts P6C for misrepresentation of identity 
have been entered for the four imposter wives. Seven agents and 
recruiters have had their visas revoked 6E for human smuggling, 
and one forger has had a P6E lookout placed on his identity. 
 
¶4. (SBU) AHTSC Police officers offered Mumbai ARSO-I and FSN-I 
the opportunity to interview the incarcerated passport fixers. 
The forger demonstrated how they removed the lamination from the 
biographical data page of legitimately obtained Indian 
passports, altered it, used a metal die to recreate the texture 
of the lamination, and re-stitched the books.  Their cache of 46 
passports recovered during the arrest of the first agent in 
March generated additional leads.  Joint investigation by ARSO-I 
and Mumbai Crime Branch of the passports revealed several 
additional individuals who had been issued U.S. visas, with 
imposters posing as their wives. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch created the 
Anti Human Trafficking and Smuggling Cell (AHTSC) this year in 
response to a spirit of cooperation and encouragement from 
Mumbai ARSO-I.  Cooperative investigations like the Air India 
case have fueled the project with positive press and a record of 
successes.  ARSO-I Mumbai looks forward to future cooperation 
with the AHTSC in combating visa fraud.  END COMMENT. 
 
FOLMSBEE