Maglivam Krithas, a Sri Lankan national, was arrested by the bureau of immigration at Dabolim airport for holding a fake Schengen visa while traveling to Paris, France.

The accused has been handed over to Vasco police station. Sources at the airport said that the accused was traveling to Paris on a Schengen visa on Thursday. Sources said that initially it appears the Schengen visa was issued by Spain and the visa was valid from April to June 2013. Sources added, when the accused approached the immigration counter, the immigration officer suspected that it could be a fake visa as the accused did not possess a return ticket.

Upon inquiring it was found that the visa was issued in 2010 by the Spain embassy. The bureau of immigration immediately faxed the copy of visa to the embassy to verify whether the tourist visa issued to the Sri Lankan national was genuine. “Once it was confirmed by the Spain embassy that the visa was fake and it was issued to a Spanish national and not a Sri Lankan national, we handed over the accused to Vasco police station for further investigation,” sources said.

Krithas came to India by air from Colombo to Chennai from where he travelled by road to Goa to fly to Spain. Bureau of immigration has also written a letter to the Sri Lanka government to verify and confirm whether the passport issued to Krithas is genuine or fake.

Vasco police produced the accused before the Judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) Vasco and the accused has been given 10 days police custody for further investigation. (TNN)