(New York, NY: February 13, 2016) During its routine checks, the Indian Consulate in New York had identified that 7 suspicious US Green Cards, which it sent to the US Immigration for verification, and has found that six of the seven were found to be fake, media reports here say.
The detection of fake US Green Cards submitted to obtain Travel Documents to India, has led to the US the Immigration authorities and the police launching an investigation in to the working of Service Providers to the Indian Consulate here. They are said to be examining their possible nexus with people and agencies involved in the racket.
According to reports, there are two official service providers appointed by the Indian Embassy in the US. One is BLS International which provides Passport services, and the other is Cox & King which provides Visa services, among others. There have been complaints against BLS International ever since it started operations years ago. It is reported that almost every Consulate, and Embassy of India in the US, have expressed dissatisfaction with the working of the company but it continues to be in business. As per reports, BLS is believed to have strong political connections in India and its patrons there ensured the company remains in business in spite of all adverse reports.
It has been known for some time now that there are agents who claim to provide services to seekers of travel documents, for a price. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong in it. However, these agents also indulged in faking documents to get travel documents to those not eligible for obtaining those documents, for some reason. In such cases, these agents charged hefty fees, from $3500.00 upward.
As per reports, an Immigration official visited the Consulate on February 5th to speak with the Consulate authorities. Accompanied by the Consulate officials, the officer from the Immigration visited the offices of BLS International, located at 28 West 30th Street, Suite 202, New York, NY10001. As the official reached there he found in the BLS complex the Notary who had notarized the “fake Green Cards”. The officer asked him a couple of questions and went in to speak with the BLS officials about the presence of the Notary in the building. It was when the Notary, reported to be named Husain, picked up his stuff and bolted.
Media reports state that the US Immigration is now believed to be looking in to the issue not as a solitary affair of faking of some US green cards by just a few to obtain travel documents to India but as a much wider racket, involving many all over the US. Meanwhile, the local police are separately looking in to the case of “fraud”.
