PANAJI
The Cyber Crime Cell of Goa police busted a fake employment racket which was operational across the country, conning sailors through the fake website of a Goa based company, Ouvert Marine from Vasco.
Accused Sumit Upadhyay from Guwahati has been arrested as he was preparing to escape from Mumbai Airport. He was apprehended aboard the plane he had boarded.
The police acted on a complaint filed by Ouvert Marine which claimed that a fake website of the company had been created on the internet and a bogus placement racket for sailors was being run through it. Fake placement letters were being issued to aspirants and job seekers, who were paying upto Rs five lakh to get placement.
During the course of the investigation, the police learnt that the accused operated through various fake identities, used dozens of phone numbers and functioned in UP, Delhi, Mumbai and Guwahati.
The fake recruitment of sailors comes at a time when thousands of Goan seafarers are stranded back home waiting anxiously for cruise liners to resume operations.
It may be recalled that global companies including renowned companies like Royal Carribean and Carnival Cruises Lines are yet to take a call on the date of resumption after they suspended operations in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
