Pramesh S Jain
Officials of Protector of Emigrants (PoE),on Thursday raided Travel Touch Tours & Travels (Ryan Group) after it was found carrying out unlicensed immigration consultancy operating in Sharavati Circle,Honnavar,Uttar Kannada which according to the officials is in violation of the Emigration Act,1983.
The operation was led by Avaneesh Shukla,PoE, Bengaluru and an FIR has been registered against the owner of the firm with the Honnavar police station for further investigation.
During the raid,key documents,registers,and other materials relevant to the investigation were seized.
The PoE Office had received information the said agency had collected huge amount of money from the candidates amounting to several lakhs of rupees offering overseas employment in countries such as Israel and the Gulf nations offering jobs of staff for the super markets .
Despite being served a notice dated on September 9,the firm continued its operations illegally.Moreover,the firm had been actively promoting unlicensed recruitment services via social media platforms such as Facebook , Instagram,the officials told reporters.
This is continuation of the enforcement actions taken by PoE Bengaluru against illegal overseas agencies.
Mr.Avaneesh Shukla who led the raid said that no person or organisation is permitted to engage in overseas recruitment without a valid Registration Certificate issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, under section 10 of the Emigration Act, 1983.
Any such violation is a punishable offence under Sections 24 and 25 of the Act, which provides for imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of Rs.2,000. In the event of repeat offences, both penalties are doubled,he added .
Advisory to Aspiring Emigrants:
The PoE advised people who are looking for jobs in foreign countries to verify the credentials of any recruitment agency through the following channels: Visit the official government website: www.emigrate.gov.in or Email to the PoE Bengaluru Office at poebengaluru@mea.gov.in.
The Emigrate portal provides a complete list of registered overseas recruitment agencies and the contact details of all Protector of Emigrants offices across the country.
For grievance redressal and support, emigrants or their family members may also contact the Pravasi Bharatiya Sewa Kendra (PBSK), established by MEA, through: 24x7Toll-FreeHelpline:1800-11-3090 ,Email: helpline@mea.gov.in.
Warning to Unlicensed Overseas/Abroad
PoE Bengaluru has issued a stern warning to all individuals and entities involved in unauthorised overseas recruitment—including those operating under the guise of study abroad consultants,PR visa facilitators,or work permit advisors—to immediately cease all such activities. Failure to comply will result in strict legal action under the provisions of the Emigration Act.
