Hyderabad, Dec 3

Five people have been arrested here for preparing fake documents for those wanting to go to the US and other countries for employment.

Acting on a tip-off from the US consulate in Chennai, police cracked down on the gang, which has so far sent 11 people to America.

Police Commissioner R.P. Singh told a news conference Wednesday that police raided a house in Malakpet Tuesday and arrested five people.

A computer, 186 passports, 143 fake rubber stamps and 36 fake documentation files, including fake Income Tax papers, financial statements and other related documents required for visa processing, were also seized.

The commissioner said all the seized passports were genuine and would be returned to the candidates.

\"No action will be taken against them as they had only attempted to go abroad with fake documents,\" he said.

Police, however, are providing information to the US authorities about 11 people who were sent to the US during the past year. The police chief said the US authorities had alerted the police about the racket when they suspected the documents submitted by a candidate.

The gang had prepared link documents like fake Income Tax papers, Income Tax Permanent Account Number cards, financial statements, property evaluation reports and employment certificates for visa processing for 50 people. Eleven of them succeeded in obtaining visas.

While police claimed that the gang was charging Rs.200,000 from every successful candidate, Shaik Abdul Rasheed, 56, the alleged kingpin of the racket, told newsmen they were charging Rs.25,000.

Rasheed, a retired employee of the State Bank of Hyderabad, said he was only preparing link documents for tourists. Explaining his modus operandi, he said those having invitations and sponsorship letters used to approach them.

The accused said he had obtained fake rubber stamps and other material from some agents in Chennai. Police are sending a team to Chennai to nab the agents.

The city police are also on the lookout for 10-15 more agents working for Rasheed.