In a swift move the immigration counter at the Dabolimairport was taken over by the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) of the Ministry ofHome Affairs recently (June 25, 2012).
It was a routine development, but for Goa Police’simmigration wing it came as a setback, as it exposed several chinks in theirfunctioning.
In last five years when Goa police managed the controversialimmigration counter at Dabolim, not a single case of Emigration Check NotRequired (ECNR) was reported. Only 13 cases of fake passports have beenreported at the Goa airport in this period till the BOI took charge on June 25
A month after BOI took charge of the immigration counter twocases of forged ECNR was detected and seven people were put behind bars.
ECNR is mandatory for those who have not passed theirmatriculate examination.
Dabolim airport, which is safe haven for overseas agenciesto push people, mainly labour, without the ECNR clearance to Gulf countries hasalso become an easy entry and exit point for criminals.
“In the month of July two case of fake ECNR was reported atDabolim airport,” Vasco police confirmed.
Surprisingly, not single case related with fake passport wasreported in 2008 and 2009. Only one case was reported in 2010.
Irked by complaints about corruption at Goa's immigrationcounters, ministry of home affairs (MHA) decided to hand over the immigrationcounters to BOI.
Earlier, 'pushing' was a flourishing racket at the Dabolimairport. Agents along with the immigration staff 'push' people, who did nothave necessary documents to travel abroad to work as labourers or maids.
“Innocent labourers have become victims in the racket, asoverseas agencies especially from Chennai are still trying to push people fromGoa airport to Gulf countries,” a BOI officer who recently took charge at Goaairport said.
Defending the Goa Police, former Immigration SP, TonnyFernandes said: “We have not been lax. In the last couple of years Goaimmigration police has detained many people at the airport with fakepassports.”
