Human trafficking: Visa translator held
Posted on: 30 Jan 2013
Kochi: The crime branch on Tuesday held a visa translator, who is a contract worker in Saudi Airlines, in human trafficking case in Nedumbassery airport. Abdul Hameed Savad, 48, from South Aduvassery was arrested by a team led by P.M. Varghese, DySP, Crime Branch, on charges of misusing the documents of passengers. Savad was arrested when it was proved that he had helped the main accused and police constable Ajeeb in securing copies of photo and passport for taking fake phone connections. He was called to the crime branch office for questioning and later arrested. Ajeeb used to contact travel agencies and police officers using fake sim cards.
Abdul Hameed Savad was employed with Air India as an Arabic translator at CIAL from 2002 till 2008 and then at Saudi Airlines. He also operated a travel agency named Kasab Air Travels at Athani from 1996 to 2002. He used to keep the copies of the passports and photographs of passengers, which he gave to Ajeeb. The latter used these documents to activate mobile phone connections.
Investigations showed that Ajeeb used five different phones while he was on deputation at the immigration wing of the CIAL, of which three were activated using fake documents. Savad was employed to translate the official visa documents issued by Central Asian countries and his closeness with officials at the airport led him to Ajeeb.
